


A Whole Lot Of Memories

by comebackbehere



Category: Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, Thor (Movies)
Genre: F/F, F/M, I can't help it, Just a bunch of oneshots, i really really like blackhill, i seriously need to learn how to stick with one fandom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-12
Updated: 2016-10-31
Packaged: 2018-08-14 15:33:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 57,467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8019460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/comebackbehere/pseuds/comebackbehere
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Simply put: just a bunch of random Blackhill oneshots that I've written off the top of my head or written after stumbling over a prompt :)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Really?

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Send me prompts if you want! I'm really, really into this pairing.

**Prompt I found on Tumblr: The Avengers, with the exception of Nat, being privy of Maria Hill's personal life with house visits, personal space intrusion and setting her up on dates (don't talk about the Wilson incident) because they thought Maria was rather lonely. Until Nat gets fed up with all of it and shouts at them in the middle of a covert op where everyone was planning the next dinner at Hill’s on their comms that "everyone needs to stop, our fridge is full with leftovers, our cat is bloated and no, she’s not up for another date because Maria's not lonely, ‘cause…she has me."**

 

"What are you doing?"

 

Maria Hill gasps as she looks to see Tony Stark beside her, "What the _fuck_ , Stark?"

 

"Something wrong?" Tony asks as he blinks at her for a moment before he steps out of her personal space and moves to where a glass waits for him. "What are you even doing here? Don't you have more _important_ things to do on a Friday night?"

 

"Not really." Maria shrugs. "I'm just finishing this paperwork for Pepper."

 

"Boring." Tony whines as he draws the word out and pulls another glass to him, he adds a few ice cubes before he fills it with a dark amber liquid and offers it to Maria. "Come. Have a drink with the amazing Iron Man."

 

"Um, I'm good." Maria scoffs as she looks up momentarily from her paperwork before she focuses back on the scribbles before her. "Why don't you go bother Banner? He's been in his lab all night working on God knows what."

 

"I know." Tony pouts. "I'm not allowed down there."

 

"Well, I don't blame him. The last time you two put your supposed _amazing_ brains together you almost got the world destroyed." Maria hums and the smirk on her face widens when Tony shoots her a mock glare.

 

"I like you, Hill." Tony declares as he takes a small sip of his drink and leans against the wall so he can stare at the woman. "Why haven't you moved into the tower yet? You're here enough, we have room."

 

"I'm good." Maria assures him.

 

"But we have so much fun here and you'll be easier to access if you live here with us. Pepper won't have to call you in." Tony points out. "I mean, where else are you going to go? Do you have a secret boyfriend? Are you married like Barton?"

 

"I'm not answering your questions, Stark." Maria sighs as she finishes the last of the paperwork before she looks up at her boss. "Now, as fun as this conversation has been, I have other places to be."

 

Tony rolls his eyes at the woman, "Try not to get too lonely, Hill."

 

"I won't."

 

**-x-**

 

"Watch out!"

 

Maria barely has time to drop her head before a knife embeds itself in the wall; with a sigh, the woman shakes her head as she looks at the innocent expression a few feet away. The brunette is silent as she slips herself from her leather jacket and drapes it over a hook before she reaches to pluck the knife from the wall. With a playful toss, Maria arches an eyebrow as she closes the distance between herself and a smirk.

 

"What have I told you about throwing knives in the apartment?"

 

Green eyes brighten in amusement, "I can't remember."

 

"Nat, you're going to get us _evicted_." Maria scolds as she offers the knife to the redhead before she ducks her head to press their lips together. "You have a training room at the Stark Tower. Save the knives for those walls."

 

"Whatever you say, Commander." Natasha sighs, the woman is quick to drop the knife aside before she curls her arms around Maria's neck and guides her into a deeper, slower kiss. "Mm, where have you been?"

 

"Finishing paperwork for Pepper." Maria whispers against full lips before she slides her hands down a trim waist and over toned thighs. "I would've been home sooner, but Stark decided he wanted to get to know me a little better."

 

"Oh?" Natasha hums.

 

"Yeah, he asked me to move into the tower again." Maria chuckles while she slides her hands under Natasha's thighs until the redhead follows her silent command and jumps slightly. "I told him no. _Again_."

 

Natasha curls her legs around Maria's waist with a soft laugh, "He'll get the hint eventually."

 

"It's Stark." Maria snorts as she scatters kisses along Natasha's neck. "No he won't."

 

"Mm, you're probably right." Natasha rasps before she gasps out a moan and curls her fingers through dark tresses and uses the grasp to guide lips to meet her own. "No more about Stark, take me to bed."

 

"Yes ma'am." Maria purrs.

 

**-x-**

 

"Hill!"

 

Maria glances up from her tablet and looks over her shoulder, "Rogers."

 

"Just wanted to give you a report about our latest mission," Steve says as he catches up with the woman. "Wanda did amazing, I think we should consider including her in more advanced missions. We definitely need her."

 

"I'll keep that under consideration." Maria nods as she looks back down at her tablet screen and her fingers glide easily over the surface before she pauses as Steve lingers. "Is there something else?"

 

"I spoke with Stark earlier this week," Steve begins and Maria tenses as she simply hums in return. "He was telling me that you have been pulling a lot of late nights there and I know how hard you work here, you rarely give yourself a break."

 

"There's a lot of work that needs to be done, Rogers," Maria shrugs. "Someone has to do it."

 

Steve nods eagerly, "I agree. I just think you need to take a break every once in a while."

 

"I'll uh I'll consider that as well, Rogers." Maria assures him.

 

" _I_ would be happy to take you out sometime." Steve offers as he follows alongside Maria with his hands behind his back and a boyish grin on his face. "I've finally found my way around New York and I know a great hamburger place."

 

Maria pauses and looks to Steve, "Are you asking me out on a _date_ , Rogers?"

 

"W-What? No! I mean, not exactly. I just want to take you out. As a friend. A _friend_." Steve assures her as his eyes widen. "I-I'm currently courting someone so it would be wrong for me to take you out on a date."

 

"Rogers, I'm going to have to give you a hard pass on your offer." Maria sighs as she rolls her eyes and turns her attention back to her tablet. "Why don't you instead focus on taking Sharon out on dates? I'm sure she misses you."

 

"I..."

 

"You're dismissed."

 

Maria doesn't linger, she doesn't want to listen to his stuttering anymore.

 

**-x-**

 

Maria allows the smallest smile to play on her face as she glances out the window and watches the day begin. She loves days like this, days when she's not trapped in her office or off on a mission, days when she can be in the safety of her apartment. The woman leans back against the counter and crosses her arms over her chest as she watches the sun decorate her walls with light while the coffee machine hisses a few feet away.

 

The minutes pass before the machine fills the last of the canister and Maria sighs as she shoves off the counter and moves to grab herself a mug. As she pours a small amount, the sound of a loud yawn catches her attention and she throws a quick glance over her shoulder. Fresh off a mission, a sleepy eyed Natasha shuffles her way across the cold morning tile with an exhausted frown and a droopy oversized t-shirt.

 

"Good morning." Maria snorts.

 

"No." Natasha grunts.

 

"Always a breath of fresh air in the morning." Maria sighs as she glides towards the older woman and curls her arms around her waist before she drops a kiss to her head. "I see you managed to make it back from the mission in one piece."

 

"No." Natasha repeats as she nuzzles her face in Maria's neck.

 

"Alright. Coffee first and then we'll try for a decent conversation." Maria grins before she presses one last kiss to Natasha's head before she nudges her away. "Go sit down and I'll get you a cup."

 

Natasha moves to climb onto the counter and a smile pulls at her lips as she takes in Maria's men dress shirt and lacey boy shorts, her hair is messy and small strands of hair escape from the bun; Natasha swears her girlfriend has never looked so beautiful. Moments later, Maria turns with an orange mug in her grasp before she walks towards her girlfriend and offers the steaming beverage; Natasha sighs in relief as she accepts the cup.

 

Maria arches an eyebrow, "Better?"

 

"Much." Natasha nods as she parts her thighs and uses the back of her foot to pull Maria between her legs. "Sorry if I woke you up last night, I tried to be quiet but Liho decided to be a little shit and jump on me. She's getting fat."

 

"About that," Maria begins as she rolls her eyes. "While you were away, I was visited several times by your lovely teammates. Oh, and the day you left, Rogers actually attempted to ask me out on a date."

 

"Excuse me?" Natasha hisses through a mouthful of coffee.

 

"Yeah. I think they thought it was party central over here. I caught Wanda feeding Liho about a dozen treats and I think that's been happening for a while." Maria sighs. "So, Liho isn't allowed at the tower until she drops a few pounds."

 

"I'm sorry, I'm still stuck on the fact that _Steve_ asked you out..."

 

"It was weird." Maria frowns as she scrunches her nose and Natasha can't help but smile at the expression. "He made it clear that it was just a friendly outing, but it was just the fact that he did it. First Stark and now him?"

 

"Ignore them." Natasha suggests. "I do."

 

"I'll try, but Tony has stopped by several times to ask me out for dinner. I'm not sure how he got my address, but he passed it out to everyone else so I've gotten more visitors than I can handle. It's bad enough when May stops by." Maria huffs.

 

Natasha laughs as she sets her coffee aside so she can cup Maria's face, "I'm sorry."

 

"It's not like you told them to do it." Maria shrugs before she tilts her head back and waits for coffee flavored lips to meet her own. "Now, can we forget about this and just focus on having breakfast? I'm starving."

 

"Pancakes?" Natasha mutters against Maria's lips.

 

"Pancakes."

 

-x-

 

Six days pass.

 

Six days of silence and Maria figures that it's over, that the weirdness of the Avengers team has stopped. That is until Bruce Banner wonders into her office. She looks up at the man and watches him fidget, he stands there for a minute and pushes his glasses up his nose. He opens and closes his mouth. All at once, her shoulders tense as she fixes him with a hard stare and the man bites his lip for a moment before he finally gathers his nerves.

 

"Tony mentioned that you..."

 

Maria sucks in a breath and glares at him, "Are you about to ask me out, Banner?"

 

Bruce ducks his head and clears his throat, "I-I might have been."

 

"Don't bother."

 

"Okay." Bruce nods. "Great talk."

 

**-x-**

 

"Itsy bitsy..."

 

Natasha rolls her eyes at Maria's teasing tone, " _Don't_ call me that."

 

"You weren't paying attention to me." Maria shrugs as she rolls onto her stomach and rests her chin on Natasha's abdomen so she can look up at her. "You're too busy looking at your phone. Did you hear anything I said?"

 

"Oh. No. Sorry. Clint was just updating me on the kids." Natasha frowns before she types out something and tosses the phone aside, all at once her green eyes focus on her girlfriend. "I'm listening. What's up?"

 

"Banner asked me out today. Well, he tried to." Maria sighs.

 

Natasha blows out a long breath and flexes her jaw, "I'm going to kill Stark. And then use his dead body to beat Banner."

 

"It's getting kind of awkward." Maria admits as she turns her head to drag her lips across the sliver of skin that separates Natasha's tank top and boyshorts. "I don't know how many of your teammates I'm going to have to turn down."

 

Natasha growls and Maria gasps as she finds herself on her back with hands pinning her wrists to the mattress. A smirk of amusement slides across her face before she moans as Natasha captures her lips in a kiss that steals every ounce of oxygen from her lungs. The kiss is born straight out of a need for dominance, a need to claim, and Maria simply lets her girlfriend take what she needs from her.

 

"You're mine." Natasha hisses against her mouth.

 

Maria hums happily in return, "I know."

 

**-x-**

 

Natasha spends more time with Maria outside their apartment; usually they're good with being apart, but it seems like every time Maria turns around Natasha is only a few feet away. Nobody notices, and if they do they keep their mouth shut about it. A few days pass without incident before Sam Wilson glides into the kitchen of the Avengers tower and pauses at the sight of a sweaty Maria drinking lazily from a water bottle.

 

"Hill." Sam greets as he scans her over.

 

Maria looks away from Natasha and smiles slightly, "Wilson."

 

A thick tension fills the air as Maria continues to take small sips of water while Natasha watches Sam with a barely hidden glare. She can see the way his eyes roam over Maria's body, she can see the way he licks his lips every few seconds. She knows what he's thinking. She's been thinking it since the moment she saw Maria walk out of the weight room with sweat dripping and a bright beam on her face.

 

"So," Sam begins as he clears his throat. "Maria, how much does it cost to date you?"

 

"Excuse me?" Maria frowns.

 

"Cause damn, you look expensive." Sam whistles and when Maria fails to react or offer him a response, the man clears his throat. "Can you touch me? I want to tell my friends I was touched by an angel."

 

Maria gaps and flashes Natasha a quick look, "I uh I..."

 

"Is your dad a preacher?"

 

"No..."

 

"Oh. Well, I was gonna say that he must've been a preacher cause you're a blessing." Sam frowns before he rubs the back of his neck and flinches. "Look, you're killin' me here. I'm running out of lines."

 

"Good." Natasha snaps.

 

Sam glances towards her and scowls, "Hey, I'm trying!"

 

"You really um you really shouldn't." Maria replies and she winces as she sees the disappointment on his face. "While this was probably the most awkward situation I've been in, it was...sweet."

 

"Stark said you were looking and I just thought..."

 

"Really? You're going to listen to _Tony_? So much bullshit comes out of his mouth, Wilson. You know this." Natasha huffs as she crosses her arms over her chest. "I thought you knew better than to listen to him."

 

"I do!" Sam assures her. "Hill is just...I thought I might have a chance."

 

"I'm sorry, Wilson," Maria shrugs. "I'm not interested."

 

Sam slinks away and Maria looks at Natasha with wide eyes; the redhead just seethes.

 

**-x-**

 

Natasha spends an hour that night marking her in places that nobody will see.

 

Maria finds it entirely pointless, but nonetheless enjoyable.

 

**-x-**

 

Maria huffs in annoyance as Clint Barton dodges yet another one of her punches. The man chuckles at her expression, but the amusement dies away as she finally manages to land a punch. The man falls back against the blue mats before he hops back up and circles the woman; Natasha was away on yet another mission and Clint was lonely so he had forced Maria to take Natasha's place for his early morning spar.

 

"So, I was talking to Laura," Clint begins. "She wants to set you up with her brother."

 

"Excuse me?" Maria snorts as she dodges a punch he throws her way.

 

Clint lunges towards the woman only for her to jerk away at the last second, "His name is Pete. He's a little on the slow side, but he's intelligent in his own way. I think the two of you would get along really well."

 

"No thanks." Maria snorts as she fires a quick combo of shots that land with grace and push Barton further and further away from her. "Tell Laura I appreciate the offer, but I'm not big on blind dates."

 

"Oh come on," Clint whines as he twists himself to slide Maria into a headlock, his arm tightens a little as he feels her squirm in response. "It's not like I'm asking you to _marry_ the guy, it's just dinner and a movie or something equally as lame."

 

Maria releases a laugh as she grapples for Barton's arm before she manages to flip him over her shoulder and she stares down at him with a smirk, "The answer is still no. I don't want to go out with Laura's brother. Sorry."

 

Barton heaves a hard sigh, "You're going to die alone, Hill."

 

"I highly doubt that, Barton." Maria chuckles as she moves to grab her sweat towel. "I'll be fine."

 

"You must be the least bit lonely, right?" Clint demands.

 

"Not even the slightest." Maria assures him as she struts to snatch her water bottle before she pauses at the doorway. "I appreciate everything you guys are trying to do, but I wish you'd stop. I'm fine. I'm not lonely."

 

Maria is gone before Barton can get another word in.

 

**-x-**

 

Arms slip around her waist and Maria hums happily, "Hi."

 

"You're home late." Natasha notes as she nuzzles her nose against Maria's shoulder before she presses a series of quick kisses against bare skin. "I was hoping we could throw something together for dinner and then have a night in. Well, in bed."

 

"Sounds like a nice night." Maria nods as she turns in her girlfriend's embrace before she ducks her head to brush a gentle kiss over Natasha's soft lips. "So, Barton tried to set me up on a date with his brother-in-law."

 

Natasha tenses ever so slightly, "Pete? He's about as smart as a rock."

 

"You've met him?" Maria questions.

 

"Of course, and you are way out of his league. Hell, you're out of _my_ league." Natasha snorts and Maria rolls her eyes as she pecks her lips once more. "Would you like me to tell them all to leave you alone? I promise I can make something happen and they'll never even notice it was me."

 

"No. It's okay. They're just...concerned. They're worried I'm lonely." Maria explains as she drops her forehead to rest against Natasha's. "It'll be fine though, I'm sure of it. They'll get bored eventually and move on."

 

"They think you're lonely?" Natasha repeats in a small voice.

 

"Nat, we've talked about it," Maria cuts in, her eyes turn soft when she sees the walls that go up in green orbs. "I'm okay with keeping this between us until you're ready, I understand that there's a lot going on."

 

"I don't want someone using you against me, Maria." Natasha breathes out after a moment of silence. "I have enemies and I refuse to put you in the line of fire, and you will be. Anything to get to me."

 

"I can protect myself." Maria reminds her.

 

"I know you can, but you're _mine_ ," Natasha murmurs as she presses a kiss to Maria's lips to enforce the statement. "You're mine to protect and if the world knows that then they'll do everything they can to take you away. I can't handle that."

 

"Okay." Maria nods.

 

Natasha looks her girlfriend over and sighs, "If they don't stop then we'll tell them, okay?"

 

"Okay." Maria repeats with a firm nod that ends the conversation.

 

**-x-**

 

"Lady Hill," Thor booms as he approaches her. "I demand you accompany me on an outing."

 

Maria freezes in front of a group of rookies and looks to the blonde man with wide eyes; she's in the middle of training a bunch of low level agents and now she has to deal with this. With a harsh breath, Maria straightens her shoulders and tightens her jaw as she slowly approaches the man. With a glare, Maria watches as Thor shrinks slightly under the look before he tilts his head like a confused puppy.

 

"And _I_ demand that you don't ever ask me out again." Maria hisses.

 

Thor blinks slowly, "I do not understand."

 

"Go back to Stark and tell him that I don't need his help with my dating life. I am perfectly fine. And tell the rest of the Avengers that I'm happy and don't need any of them to ask me out ever again." Maria snaps.

 

"I shall do just that." Thor murmurs. "I will leave you..."

 

"That would be swell." Maria replies with a forced smile.

 

Thor leaves with a pout and Maria almost feels bad about turning him down.

 

**-x-**

 

"Thor?" Natasha sputters. " _Thor_ asked you out?"

 

"There really wasn't a question, it was a demand." Maria corrects as she finishes the last of her paperwork and pushes it away from herself. "He looked like a kicked puppy when I told him no, I feel bad."

 

Natasha shakes her head in disbelief, "Thor..."

 

"Rhodey tried too." Maria shrugs.

 

"I am going to..." Natasha trails off and clenches her jaw as she tightens her hands around the arms of the chair she is placed in. "Maria, I am seriously five seconds away from adding a few more people to my ledger."

 

"Not funny." Maria scolds as she leans back in her chair.

 

"No. You know what's not funny? The fact that my teammates keep asking _my_ girlfriend out. That's not funny." Natasha corrects as she grinds her teeth. "I don't do jealousy, Hill. You know this. I don't like it."

 

"There's nothing to be jealous of." Maria shrugs. "It's not like I'm interested."

 

Natasha is silent for a moment before she shakes her head, "We're telling them. _I'm_ telling them."

 

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Maria asks.

 

"Well, we won't find out until it happens." Natasha murmurs. "I'll just wait for the right time."

 

Maria snorts, "Right. We'll see."

 

**-x-**

 

Maria looks around her and Natasha's loft and sighs; once again, the Avengers have made themselves at home. A movie plays on the flat screen but chatter and laughter is louder than anything coming from the TV, and Wanda is using her magic to sneak Liho treats. The woman bites her lower lip before she presses the mouth of her beer bottle to her lips and swallows down the liquid with slight desperation.

 

Natasha is due home any minute and Maria hasn't been able to get a hold of her, she figures her girlfriend has either once again broken her phone or has allowed it to go uncharged over the last three days. Steve and Rhodey are in the middle of arguing about baseball teams when the door of the loft swings open and everyone freezes as they turn their heads, and Maria can see it on their face that they're ready for an attack.

 

"Maria, I..."

 

Maria smiles sheepishly as Natasha pauses at the sight before her; green eyes widen slightly before they flicker towards Maria who widens her own gaze and shrugs. The duffel bag on the redhead's shoulder slides from her arm and hits the ground with a dull thud while everyone pauses to stare at her. Maria can't help but silently note that the movie playing on the TV is one that she and Natasha absoutley hate.

 

"Lady Natasha!" Thor exclaims as he breaks the silence. "You heard about the party as well?"

 

Natasha looks around and furrows her brow, "Uh...yeah."

 

"Did you bring clothes to change in to or is that bag full of different bottles of alcohol? I'm hoping for the latter." Tony hums as he finishes off the last of the amber liquid in his glass before he tilts his head.

 

"Um, I just came to pick up Liho." Natasha explains.

 

Maria shakes her head at her girlfriend's words, "She was an angel why you were gone."

 

"I'm sure she was." Natasha murmurs and she takes a moment to flash Maria an apologetic frown before she squats down to sweep the black cat into her arms. "Well, as fun as this looks, I just want to get home and shower."

 

"You're not going to stay for a drink or two?" Clint frowns.

 

"No. Not tonight. I'm exhausted. Long mission." Natasha replies as she begins to back away.

 

"Tasha," Clint calls as the redhead moves towards the door. "Your bag..."

 

The woman clears her throat as she moves to scoop the duffel bag back up onto her shoulder before she looks once more towards Maria. The brunette stares at her girlfriend and silently pleads for her to say something, but the redhead just simply gives her a frown and glides from the loft. The door clicks shut behind the woman and Maria sinks back against the couch in defeat; she knew Natasha wasn't going to say anything, but it still stings.

 

**-x-**

 

"Coffee?"

 

Maria looks up from her tablet, "No. I'm good."

 

"Maria." Natasha whispers. "I'm sorry."

 

"For?"

 

"Darling, I didn't mean to just brush everything off like that. I wasn't expecting to come home to find my entire team spread around our place." Natasha complains as she slips into Maria's office and clicks the door shut.

 

"I tried texting you. And calling you. You didn't pick up." Maria replies without a hint of emotion in her tone. "Actually, it was nice having them there. They kept me company. You were gone longer than what was expected."

 

Natasha blinks as she stares at her girlfriend, "Maria..."

 

"I have a lot of work to do, Natasha. And I'm sure you do too." Maria whispers as she turns her attention back to her tablet and she quickly slides through files as her brow furrows in a show of silent concentration. "You're dismissed."

 

Maria looks up five seconds later and Natasha is gone.

 

**-x-**

 

"You're off."

 

Natasha scowls as she slides another clip into her gun, "What?"

 

"You're off." Clint repeats as he leans over the side of the tree to fire an arrow before he leans back against the bark and looks at his partner. "You're lost in your head. You _never_ get lost in your head on missions."

 

"I don't know what you're talking about." Natasha scoffs as she peeks over the rock she is squatted behind before she fires at a running Hydra agent. "I'm fine. I can assure you that I'm not lost in my head."

 

"I don't know about that, Romanoff," Tony cuts in. "You seem sort of distant."

 

Natasha rolls her eyes at the annoying voice in her ear, "I don't know what you're talking about."

 

"Maybe she's lonely." Wanda suggests. "Much like Director Hill."

 

Natasha clenches her jaw at the mention of her girlfriend; it has been a little over two weeks since her disagreement with the brunette and she's seen her a total of four times. And all of those times she was accompanied by one of Natasha's teammates. The redhead tilts her head in an effort to pop her neck, to free herself of the tension in her body, before she pops up to take out a line of agents.

 

"Still think I'm off?" Natasha grumbles.

 

"You know, after we finish this little mission and collect what we need," Tony begins as he hovers a few feet away from Natasha and fires at the guns pointed their way. "We should go to Hill's. She has the best booze."

 

"Lady Hill also has donuts." Thor adds in as he easily snatches a gun from an agent.

 

Sam swoops down to knock a man over before he skids to a halt in the middle of his team, "I'm always up for any chance to see Director Hill. That woman is fine. Never thought I'd be into the bossy type, but she really does it for me."

 

"Shut up." Natasha hisses.

 

"Are you sure you're okay?" Steve asks as he rushes to join his team.

 

"I'm fine." Natasha snaps back. "Can we just finish this?"

 

"I really don't think we need to, seems like our Hulk has it covered." Tony smirks as he lands and watches Bruce easily scoop up a handful of agents before he tosses them aside. "Looks like we'll be heading to Hill's place early."

 

"I think we should stop and pick up some pizza, I'm feelin' a pizza night." Sam suggests as he dodges a sudden fist that flies his way before he sweeps the legs out from under the agent. "I think Hill likes pizza."

 

"She doesn't." Natasha mumbles as she levels her gun on a man a few feet away. "She prefers Indian, but it upsets her stomach so she'll usually eat Chinese. She grew up on pizza so she doesn't really like it that much anymore."

 

Steve looks at her with surprise in his gaze, "How do you know that?"

 

"I just do." Natasha replies in an even tone.

 

"Okay, then we'll find a Chinese place." Sam shrugs. "I'll buy."

 

"You just wanna pay so you can get in Hill's good graces. Good luck with that. I've been trying for a year and she still has me on her shit list." Tony pouts. "But who knows, maybe food is the way to her heart. Or into her pants."

 

Natasha whirls to face the man with annoyance in her gaze, "Is it possible for you two to shut the fuck up?"

 

"Tasha..." Clint frowns.

 

The mission goes on around them and they easily wipe out the agents that run to them, and once they're in the clear everyone focuses their attention on the raging redhead. The woman easily wraps her thighs around a man and brings him down before she fires a quick kick into his ribs. The anger is clear in her gaze as she looks to her team and sees the questions and concern that swims in their expressions.

 

"Look, everyone needs to just stop," Natasha pants as she clicks the safety of her gun. "Believe it or not, you have nothing to worry about. Our fridge is full, our cat is fucking eight pounds heavier than she was a month ago, and Maria is not up for company."

 

Tony furrows his brow, " _Our_?"

 

"She's not lonely, alright?" Natasha sighs as her voice softens. "She has me."

 

"You...?" Steve gaps. "You and Hill?"

 

"Yes. We've been together for almost two years." Natasha replies as she straightens her shoulders and seems to grow a few inches taller. "So, I'd appreciate it if you'd stop asking her out. You _don't_ want to know what happens when you piss me off."

 

Tony glances down at the fallen agents at Natasha's feet and arches an eyebrow, "I think we already know."

 

"This thing with Maria ends right now, alright?" Natasha orders.

 

The team nods and Natasha spares them one last glance before she turns to walk away, but not before she knees an agent who managed to stumble to his feet. The redhead struts away and everyone can only stand back and watch with wide eyes; they're all trying to process what has just happened, it all seems like an unrealistic blur, but as they trade looks they realize that it did happen. It was all real.

 

"Pepper is going to love this." Tony snickers.

 

**-x-**

 

Natasha goes home.

 

She picks Liho up from the tower and goes to the one place she wants to be, goes home to the one person she wants to see. She knows Maria knows what happened, Tony can't keep his mouth shut and Pepper isn't much better so she can only assume that the blonde has already run off to her girlfriend. Natasha doesn't care though, everyone knows now and she can finally go back to her life.

 

The idea of that causes a sigh of relief to leave her as she finally walks into her loft and drops the cat before she patters through the familiar space. Everything is the same, not that Natasha really expected it to change but it still makes her feel safer than she has in the last two weeks. The loft is quiet and Natasha can only assume that Maria is still stuck at the tower with Pepper and Tony's endless questions.

 

It leaves the redhead enough time to look through the fridge and stuff herself with Maria's leftovers, she silently notes that Maria cooked all of Natasha's favorites. The woman showers and changes into jeans, a white t-shirt, and a comfortable fleece jacket. It's all so normal, it's the one good thing she has. She's halfway through with unpacking her bag when she hears the footsteps that patter behind her; she knows those steps, she's counted them enough.

 

"You told them." Maria whispers from the doorway.

 

Natasha shrugs as she looks over her shoulder, "I love you."

 

"I know." Maria murmurs as she grins softly.

 

The silence is deafening before Maria closes the distance between them and grapples for her girlfriend. The desperation comes through as Maria presses their lips together in a kiss that is all tongue and teeth. She pushes and pushes until Natasha submits under her touch, for how long Maria isn't sure but she'll take what she can get. With a hum of approval, she stumbles forward until she can mold herself to Natasha's front.

 

Natasha hates the gasp that leaves her as her back bounces off the wall before her hands are pinned to the wall by a soft grip. The redhead tilts her head back as lips dance along her neck and teeth sink easily into the tremble of her pulse. Natasha squeezes her eyes shut as she tries to arch herself further into the hands that run along her sides and plays with the fleece of her jacket, eventually a warm hand brushes under her white t-shirt.

 

The older woman arches off the wall and gives a soft moan as she pulls her neck away from harsh teeth before she captures Maria's mouth with her own. A soft whimper leaves the younger woman as her hands loosen around the ones held to the wall. With a smirk, Natasha easily breaks her hands free of Maria's grip and pushes hard against her hips to guide her towards their bed.

 

"Thought you had me, didn't you?" Natasha whispers as she pushes Maria onto the mattress.

 

"Almost." Maria chuckles while Natasha straddles her hips. "Next time?"

 

"We'll see."

 

Natasha sheds her jacket and pulls her shirt over her head before she reaches behind herself to flick open her bra. A hum leaves Maria as she scans her gaze over her girlfriend before she curls a hand around the back of her neck and guides her into a desperate kiss. Every apology and promise is fused into the kiss and Natasha is quick to disconnect their lips for a brief moment so she can rip Maria's shirt over her head.

 

Natasha pushes Maria back on the bed and smirks, "Mine."

 

"Yours." Maria whispers.

 

Natasha spends the next four hours making sure Maria believes that.


	2. Nothing Routine About This

**Prompt I found on Tumblr: The first time Natasha tells Maria she loves her she blurts it out after Maria returns from a mission with broken ribs and a concussion. Natasha wishes she had said it somewhere romantic because Maria deserves the best, but Maria wouldn't change it for the world.**

 

"You said it was a routine mission, Coulson."

 

Phil Coulson doesn't get nervous often, but there's something about the green eyes in front of him that causes every anxiety to spark in his body. He fumbles for an answer, works through his head for _anything_ to say to calm the woman down in front of him. He supposes there's nothing to say, it _was_ supposed to be a routine mission. It was a simple search and rescue, and now only four of their ten agents are coming back alive.

 

Among those alive is Maria Hill. Natasha Romanoff's girlfriend. The _Black Widow's_ girlfriend.

 

"Agent Romanoff," Coulson begins as he stands from behind his desk and folds his hands behind his back. "There was a trained team waiting when our agents arrived, they were ambushed. Commander Hill managed to pull out three agents, she saved their lives."

 

"I don't give a fuck how many lives she saved." Natasha growls as she slams a fist down on the mahogany of the man's desk and she breathes in his flinch as he swallows hard and shifts nervously. " _Her_ life matters."

 

"I realize that your relationship with Commander Hill..."

 

"Don't." Natasha hisses and Coulson has the decency to look slightly shamed as he bows his head towards the woman. "She said that the area needed to be better scouted, that they were going in blind, and nobody listened."

 

Coulson fumbles for an answer, "We looked..."

 

"You didn't look hard enough and now look at where that has landed us." Natasha snorts as she pushes away from his desk and glides towards the door only to pause and glance back. "If I lose her, then consider it my letter of resignation."

 

Phil collapses in his chair whenever she finally disappears.

 

**-x-**

 

By the time they allow her into the sickbay, she can hear the groans of pain from the agents locked away in rooms and it only increases her frantic walk. She makes it to the end of the hallway and pauses as she looks into the room and sees her girlfriend on the hospital bed, there's a bandage on her forehead and pain is clear in her expression. All sense of ration leaves her as her hands curl into fists and her teeth grit together.

 

"Agent Romanoff," Jane greets. "She's fine."

 

" _Fine_? I don't see this as fine." Natasha scoffs as she tilts her neck long enough for a few pops to fill the air before she glides towards the bed and lowers herself into a familiar chair. "What's her injuries?"

 

"Concussion, two broken ribs on her right side and three on her left, and a few bumps and bruises. All in all, she's the best out of everyone else who came in." Jane assures her. "We just need to keep an eye on her concussion."

 

Natasha gives a brief nod, "Thank you."

 

"She's been asking for you." Jane offers as she gathers together Maria's chart and presses it to her chest while she watches Natasha spare her a small glance. "Well, I'll leave you two. I'll try and keep the rest of the ragtag gang out."

 

"I appreciate it."

 

Jane leaves and Natasha focuses her attention on Maria; she takes in the bruise that is pushing through pale skin and tries to quell the anger that burns through her veins. It kills her to see the one she loves the most like this, it pains her to know she wasn't there to stop it. From the moment she and Maria made their relationship official, Natasha had promised the woman she would always keep her safe.

 

And she failed.

 

A hand flutters beneath hers and Natasha feels a breath leave her as she looks down to watch as Maria groans and squeezes her eyes shut for a beat. After a moment, hazy blue eyes lock on her and a small smile tugs at the corners of Maria's lip before she winces as it reopens the cut on her lip. With a gentleness reserved for only her girlfriend, Natasha reaches out and carefully wipes the blood away.

 

"Hi." Maria rasps.

 

Natasha arches an eyebrow, "Hi."

 

"My head hurts." Maria frowns. "Did they give me morphine?"

 

"Yes, I let them give you morphine even though you're deathly allergic to it." Natasha replies, her voice was monotone and her eyes stay blank as Maria stares at her. "I took care of it. I had Coulson put it in your files months ago."

 

"I'm sensing a little hostility from you, Agent." Maria pouts.

 

"I'm not..." Natasha pauses and blows out a strong breath as she flexes her jaw. "I'm not trying to be hostile, Maria. I was worried about you, I still am. It's not the most comforting thing when you're pulled from a meeting only to be told your girlfriend was compromised during her mission."

 

"It's not my fault they had big guns." Maria whines as she puckers her lower lip.

 

Natasha smiles adoringly at the woman and shakes her head, "I can't have this conversation with you right now, you're being too cute. Go back to sleep, we'll talk about this when you're not drugged up."

 

"You can't tell me what to do. I'm Commander." Maria huffs.

 

A warmth spreads easily through Natasha's chest as she stares at Maria and sees the exhaustion and ache in blue orbs. It's times like these when Natasha realizes that only she gets to see this playful side of Maria, the side that comes out even when she's not drugged up. It's a side that Natasha is head over heels for, it's a smile that she will do anything to see. It's a laugh that she always wants to hear, it's a feeling she never wants to be without.

 

Natasha sighs as she lifts wrapped knuckles to her lips, "I love you."

 

The noise around her disappears as her breath catches, and she replays her own words. For a moment, she considers running. She wishes she could snatch the words back from the open air and tuck them away for a more special moment. Natasha kicks herself, this was supposed to be done over a dinner with candles or said beneath the moonlight that shone through the apartment window in the middle of the night.

 

It wasn't meant to be said while Maria wheezes out a few breaths and clenches her eyes shut in pain every other second. But it was. Natasha waits and then she sees the barest hint of a smile appear on Maria's face, she sees those eyes that she loves so much brighten just a little. She can tell her girlfriend wants to say it back, but the medication in her blood stream gives her enough time to squeeze Natasha's hand before she drifts off.

 

Natasha murmurs those words a thousand more times before finally falls asleep.

 

**-x-**

 

Days slowly creep by and Natasha works her missions with a little more fire in her, Steve makes a comment once and the punch he receives teaches him to keep his mouth shut. Every time Natasha returns, she is quick to join Maria and her girlfriend just pouts as she flips through her files while whining about being caged up. It makes Natasha love her just a little more than she did the second before.

 

Natasha sighs as she brushes the barest hint of soot from her shoulder and runs her fingers through her fiery locks while she makes the familiar walk to Maria's room. It's been two weeks since Maria was put in observation and as Natasha glides her way down the halls, she freezes for a split second when she hears the familiar tone of Jane scolding someone. With a roll of her green orbs, Natasha speeds up her walk and turns into the room.

 

"Commander Hill," Jane sighs. "You're not allowed to leave."

 

"Like hell. I am perfectly..." Maria trails off with a hiss and pushes a gentle hand to her ribs before she struggles to sit up on the bed. "I'm fine. I need to get back to work and get my agents back in line. God knows what they're doing without me."

 

"They're surviving."

 

Maria glances at the doorway and gives a small smile, "Agent Romanoff."

 

"Commander Hill." Natasha replies, her voice is low and raspy and she can see the way Maria shivers as she closes her eyes for a brief second. "What are you doing exactly? You're not allowed at work for another three weeks."

 

"That's insane!" Maria exclaims. "Fury will clear me."

 

"I promise you that he won't." Jane scoffs as she folds her arms over her chest. "You're staying right here where you're supposed to and you're going to let your ribs heal and then you can go back to work."

 

"No." Maria huffs. "I'm going home."

 

Natasha chuckles softly and shakes her head, "I think you should listen to Dr. Foster."

 

"Natasha, I love you," Maria begins as she flashes her girlfriend a look and the redhead can't stop her smile as she perks up. "But stay out of this. I am not staying in here waiting for my ribs to heal, I want to do that in the comfort of our home."

 

The redhead knows the effect of Maria's words show on her face and she kicks herself for how easily this woman makes her melt. One smile, one look, one touch from Maria causes her to fall apart without a care. Natasha licks her lips and holds her hands up as Jane looks at her with eyes that plead for her to step in; she knows better than to pick a fight with Maria when it comes to her health, the woman was almost as stubborn as she was.

 

"I can keep an eye on." Natasha assures Jane.

 

Jane looks between them and rolls her eyes, "I don't even know why I'm bothering."

 

"I told you." Maria smirks and flashes Jane that familiar look of happiness while she struggles to situate herself on the pillows before she flashes a glance towards Natasha. "Agent Romanoff, I'd appreciate it if you'd gather my things."

 

Natasha playfully salutes the woman, "Yes ma'am."

 

**-x-**

 

"Stop moving."

 

"I'm _not_!"

 

"You are."

 

Maria blows out a long breath, "You're more annoying than Jane."

 

"You're the one who was insistent on coming home and I'm your doctor now so you have to do what I say. Just call me Doctor Romanoff." Natasha smirks as she opens her arms and allows Maria to snuggle into her side.

 

"Yeah. _No_. That's not happening." Maria snorts.

 

"Whatever. I'd make a great doctor." Natasha pouts.

 

"Something tells me that your bedside manner would not be tolerable." Maria teases as she glances up and watches as her girlfriend pouts further. "But I think your looks would make up for it. You'd look really hot in a lab coat."

 

"Is this a fantasy of yours, Commander Hill?" Natasha hums as she leans down and waits for Maria to tilt her head back before she presses their lips together in a soft kiss. "I can make it happen. I'm sure Dr. Foster would be happy to lend me a coat."

 

Maria laughs softly against Natasha's lips and follows it with a hiss, "Don't make me laugh."

 

"Can't help it." Natasha shrugs. "I'm hilarious."

 

"How is it that I've fallen in love with someone with an ego so large that it nearly suffocates me every time she opens her mouth?" Maria mumbles as she pulls away and rests her head back on the redhead's chest.

 

All is silent as Natasha replays Maria's words and her heart stutters in her chest before she blows out a long breath. Love, it's such a foreign concept to her. But Maria? She makes love seem so easy, like it's the best thing that will ever happen to her and Natasha figures it is. She has something that she thought she didn't deserve, something she told herself over and over she'd never have. She has her world and she knows she'll never let it go.

 

"You love me." Natasha smirks.

 

Maria rolls her eyes at her girlfriend, "And?"

 

"Nothing. Just thought I'd remind you that you love me." Natasha shrugs as she presses a kiss to the top of Maria's head while the brunette hums in quiet answer. "And that I love you so you're stuck with me."

 

"You make that sound like it's a bad thing." Maria chuckles.

 

Natasha simply smiles, "It's the best thing."


	3. Loving You Is A Bloodsport

**A little switch up on the scene of Barton's family, instead we'll be meeting Natasha's.**

 

"Are you sure about this?"

 

Natasha looks to her best friend with a hesitant expression, "What choice do we have?"

 

"There's a dozen safe houses that we can go to, Tasha." Clint assures her as he steps closer to the woman and lowers his voice. "We don't have to do this, we don't have to take away the one thing you have to yourself."

 

"Hey, if it wasn't me offering this up then _you_ would be." Natasha points out as flashes him the barest hint of a half smile. "It'll be fine. We need a safe place to stay and this is it. I can't think of a better place to be."

 

Clint nods and slaps her on the back, "Whatever you say."

 

Natasha sucks in a breath as guides the plane through the air, takes it further and further away from a battle they had just lost. Her ribs ache and her ego is bruised, but she's alive and that's all that matters. Eventually, she dips from the clouds in favor of skirting through the air over endless valleys of greens and flowers. She slows the plane and hangs over a field, waits for a moment, and then she slowly begins to lower it down until the rest of her team mutters out questions.

 

With a peek out the closest window, Natasha takes in the large Victorian home surrounded by a neatly trimmed garden and a little tire swing on the tall oak tree. Natasha swallows hard as she stands from her seat and sucks in a breath only to press a hand to her bruised ribs as she throws off the headset she wears. The redhead is silent as she walks towards the carrier of the plane and waits impatiently it for it to lower before she steps out.

 

"Where are we exactly?" Steve asks with a frown.

 

Natasha licks her lips as she looks over her shoulder, "My house. Come on."

 

The woman regrets every step she takes closer and closer to her little piece of Heaven, she can hear the men behind her chattering in confusion and she just wants them to shut up. She wants to shove them all back on the plane and take them far, far away from this. She's held it so close to her for the last few years and now she is about to open a door that will never be able to be closed again.

 

A small smile curls at her lips as the porch step creaks ever so slightly before she patters up the rest of them and easily types in a familiar code. The beep signals their entrance and Natasha holds onto the doorknob for a beat before she finally pushes against the door and spills into her home. The smell of fresh baked _something_ fills her senses and a familiar laugh sounds not to far away, and suddenly Natasha has no regrets at all.

 

"Hey, I'm home!"

 

The laughter stops quickly and Natasha can hear a voice before a figure appears and she sinks in relief as she takes in the woman in front of her. Maria tilts her head as she pauses in the doorway of the dining room and waits patiently. Natasha is silent as she walks towards her wife and easily scoops her into her arms, and all at once the bad melts away. The images that were once in her head wash away as she searches for Maria's lips before they find her own and the she doesn't even try to smother her groan of appreciation to the affection.

 

Everything fades away, everyone disappears, it's just her and her wife and that's all she needs.

 

After a moment, Natasha pulls away and curls a gentle hand around the back of Maria's neck as she stares into confused blue orbs. Natasha gives a slow nod that pleads for Maria to just trust her and after a moment the brunette nods her consent before she brushes their noses together. Finally, Tony clears his throat and crosses his arms over his chest as he looks between the women in confusion.

 

"What's going on?" Tony demands.

 

Natasha sighs as she looks to Maria, "You all know Maria Hill. She's my wife."

 

"Y-You and _Hill_? You married Hill? Wait, wait...you're _married_? Like, legally and everything? The whole nine yards?" Tony demands and Natasha rolls her eyes with a nod. "Why didn't you tell any of us?"

 

"I didn't want anyone to find out about this, I didn't want anything happening to her. It was too much of a risk to come out and say I was dating and eventually married to the ex Assistant Deputy Director." Natasha drawls.

 

Maria snorts in amusement, "She's right."

 

Natasha feels a roll of satisfaction at Tony's dumbstruck expression before a giggle catches her attention. She feels as if the world shifts on its axis as she hears the tiny footsteps before she turns in time to catch the ball of energy that flings her way. Tiny arms curl around her neck and Natasha turns her face into her son's neck and takes a deep breath to soak him in, she steals a moment and soaks in the familiar smell of his strawberry bubble bath and the lingering smell of peanut butter from his snack.

 

"Beckett." Natasha whispers. "I missed you."

 

"I missed you more." Beckett chirps as he pulls back slightly and reaches up to cup his mother's cheeks before he presses a soft kiss to the tip of her nose. "Mommy said you weren't comin' home for a few sleeps."

 

"Tiny agent?" Tony asks in a slow tone.

 

"This is my son." Natasha explains as she turns back to her team who stares at her with questioning expressions as they openly gap. "Beckett, these are the people that mama and mommy work with."

 

"Is Uncle Clint here?" Beckett demands as he arches an eyebrow.

 

"Where else would I be?" Clint teases as he steps out from behind a frowning Thor.

 

"Uncle Clint!" Beckett exclaims as he easily squirms from Natasha's grasp before he scurries towards the man who scoops him into a tight hug before he presses a kiss to the boy's head. "Did'ya take care of mama again?"

 

"You know it, bud." Clint nods as he looks at Beckett with a small smile and the little boy gives a sigh of happiness as he burrows himself back in Clint's neck. "I took care of your mom and your mom took care of the rest of us."

 

"That's cause mama's a stuperhero." Beckett chirps. "Mommy says so."

 

Tony looks at the scene and blinks in shock, "What is _happening_?"

 

"Well, Stark," Maria drawls as she curls her arms around Natasha's waist and feels the redhead sink against her. "You are currently standing in our kitchen where we live with our three-year-old son. Welcome to life _outside_ the Avengers."

 

"But...I don't understand..." Tony sputters as he points an accusing finger at Natasha. "You said you couldn't live at the tower with us because you already had a place! This is it, isn't it? This is your place?"

 

"This is my _home_." Natasha corrects with a roll of her eyes.

 

"You hid it from us?" Steve asks in a soft voice.

 

Natasha tenses at his tone and shakes her head, "We can discuss this some other time. Right now all I want is a hot shower and Maria's cooking. There's beer in the fridge. Tony, there should be some scotch in the top cabinet."

 

The redhead slips out of Maria's hold and moves to press a soft kiss to Beckett's curls before she patters off towards the stairs. She can feel the way the anxiety thrums through her body as she climbs the stairs and takes in the house she hasn't been in for over three weeks; all she can see is the images that the witch had put in her head. Her breath shudders as she finally makes it to her room and hurries into the bathroom.

 

She hisses as she peels herself from her field suit and tosses it aside before she flips on the shower and brushes a rubber duck aside before she climbs in. The water beats down on her body and she presses her hands to the wall as it washes away the dried blood on her body and brings the pain of her ribs to light. She stays there until the tap turns cold and she spits out the water as she washes quickly and scampers out.

 

"You okay?"

 

Natasha sweeps her wet locks aside as she looks to Maria, "I'm not sure."

 

"You had that look on your face, I didn't want to say anything in front of Beck." Maria sighs as she steps towards her wife and curls a fluffy purple towel around her body. "If you want to talk about it, I'm here."

 

"Okay." Natasha nods as she turns her nose into the material. "Where is Beckett?"

 

"He's taken a liking to Bruce, I think he's showing him the latest fossil to his rock collection." Maria chuckles as she folds her arms over her chest. "Banner is pretty good with Beckett. I'm a little weary, but I think it's safe to assume the big guy isn't going to come out."

 

"He won't." Natasha assures her.

 

Maria is silent as she stares at the redhead, "You lost."

 

It isn't a question, it's a simple statement that causes Natasha to suck in a breath before she nods. The cool air of the bathroom draws a shiver from her and Maria reaches to grab a hold of the purple towel before she pulls Natasha into their bedroom and digs out a pair of sweatpants and one of her old SHIELD sweatshirts. Natasha dresses quietly, avoids looking at her wife, she isn't sure she wants to see what she knows is in Maria's eyes.

 

"He has a witch," Natasha hisses. "She gets into your head."

 

"She got in your head?" Maria demands.

 

"Yeah. She did." Natasha sneers as she looks away from the brunette and focuses her attention on their perfectly made bed. "I don't want to talk about it, I just want to spend time with you and Beckett."

 

"Whatever you want, Nat." Maria nods. "What do you want for dinner?"

 

Natasha sighs at the simple question, "Whatever you want to make."

 

**-x-**

 

Dinner is an awkward affair. Maria manages to throw together a quick vegetable lasagna and the entire meal is spent with the scraping of forks and Thor's random comments on how delicious the food is. Natasha feels the way everyone keeps looking to her, well everyone but Clint and Thor, and she can see the silent judgement in their gazes. She knows what they want to know, but she doesn't want to tell them.

 

This is her little secret, her life with Maria and Beckett is something she keeps to herself. She doesn't want to tell them about how she fell in love with Maria over her period of training, she doesn't need to tell them about their first date and how it ended in them running in the rain, she bites her tongue to keep from admitting that she was the one who got down on one knee and asked Maria to marry her, and she certainty doesn't want them to know about the quiet wedding ceremony she had with Maria six years ago.

 

And one glance at Beckett makes her stomach twist uncomfortably. Her perfect little angel, her miracle. The toddler is a spitting image of Maria and it warms Natasha's heart, and along with those blue orbs and dark curls came Maria's stubbornness and Natasha's fearlessness. It was a dangerous combination. The three-year-old is Natasha's everything, and now her secret was out in the open; her little boy isn't safe anymore.

 

"Mama, I have more?"

 

Natasha tenses at the tiny sound of her son's voice, "Sure, buddy."

 

Finally, dinner ends and Natasha is more than happy to collect the dishes and disappear into the kitchen. Beckett runs freely through the house until Maria reaches for him and mumbles something about bath time before she vanishes upstairs while the toddler sings a mixed up version of the ABC's. The house is silent after that and Natasha can only imagine what her team is doing; as long as they're not touching or breaking anything, she couldn't care less.

 

"Hey."

 

"Rogers." Natasha greets as she scrubs a plate before she looks over her shoulder. "Something you need?"

 

"You didn't tell us." Steve whispers as he folds his arms over his chest.

 

Natasha pauses for a split second before she goes back to washing the dish, "Why would I?"

 

"We're your friends, Natasha. I thought we trusted each other." Steve frowns as he steps further into the kitchen and flashes her a look of hurt. "I just thought we knew each other, and now I know I was wrong."

 

"They're my _family_ , Rogers," Natasha scoffs as she sets the dish aside and turns to face the man. "So, you can pout and feel sorry for yourself and try to make me feel guilty but it won't work. I will do whatever it takes to protect my family."

 

"I just..."

 

"You just what? You thought that I was going to hand over sensitive information like this? You think that this part of my life is for you to know about?" Natasha hisses. "You're wrong. All of you, you're just a danger to them. All we do is bring danger."

 

"We save lives." Steve corrects.

 

"I never want to have to save their lives, Steve." Natasha replies, and her shoulders deflate as she looks away from the man. "I finally have something good in my life, and I just wanted to keep them away from it all. I wanted them to be kept away from the darkness."

 

"Natasha, we wouldn't have told anyone. You're part of our family which makes _them_ part of our family." Steve whispers as he looks at her with a soft expression. "You have to let us in, we're a team. We're in this together."

 

"Well, you know now," Natasha points out with a bittersweet smile before she turns her attention back to the dishes. "It's all out in the open so I hope you guys can keep your mouths shut. If anything happens to them..."

 

"Then we'll do everything we can to protect them." Steve assures her as he approaches slowly and reaches for a wet plate before he slowly begins to dry the China. "You just have to have a little faith."

 

Natasha arches an eyebrow at his words, "Sure. Something like that."

 

"I don't hear any faith in your tone, Romanoff." Steve replies as he gives a charming smile.

 

"Shut up and dry the dishes, Rip Van Winkle."

 

**-x-**

 

Natasha finishes checking each window, makes sure each door is locked, and double checks the gun safe that is hidden in the closet. It's all there, ready for anything. After she is sure that everything is in place, she gives into the exhaustion that wraps around her body and patters towards the stairs. A chuckle leaves her as she sees her teammates spread around the living room, half of them on the floor and Thor taking up the entire couch.

 

Her footsteps are as quiet as usual as she patters up the stairs before she hesitates as she hears a soft beat and laughter that pours from behind Beckett's closed door. With a tilt of her head, Natasha glides forward and slowly opens the door to peek inside before she arches an eyebrow in surprise. A mess of colors and limbs soar through the room, Beckett is dressed in his favorite Batman onesie and a cape while he scrambles onto his bed.

 

"If you want my future, forget my past," Maria sings as she throws herself upon the bed beside Beckett and reaches out to tug at of one of the child's curls. "If you wanna get me with me better make it fast."

 

Natasha watches the scene before her and can't help but fall just a little bit more in love with her wife. She can't help but be thankful that she has managed to find something good, something that gave her something she thought she'd never have. As she leans against the doorway, she can't help but wonder how many nights like this she missed; it causes her heart to ache in an all too familiar way.

 

"What are you two doing?" Natasha drawls.

 

Maria sits up on the bed with a small smile before she slides off the mattress to turn off the music while Beckett beams and eagerly scrambles towards the redhead. The three-year-old trips over his rug as he scurries towards the woman before he bounces on the tips of his toes, and finally Natasha chuckles before she gives in and leans down to scoop the child into her arms as she scatters kisses along his face.

 

"Hi, you." Natasha grins.

 

"Hi, Mama. You missed bath time." Beckett frowns as he curls his arms around his mother's neck and nuzzles his face in her shoulder with a long hum. "But s'okay. Mommy and I were dancing to her favorite song."

 

"So I saw." Natasha nods. "What are you still doing up?"

 

Beckett pulls away from Natasha's shoulder with a pout, "My story, Mama."

 

"Oh, that! I forgot all about it. How could I ever forget your story?" Natasha teases as she sets Beckett back on her feet while the three-year-old snickers. "Alright, alright. Into your bed, it's story time for the little munchkin."

 

Beckett beams happily as he stumbles over his own footing in an effort to throw himself at his stuffed animal filled bed. With a small squeak, Beckett burrows himself underneath soft grey sheets before his head pops up a few seconds later. Natasha gives a soft laugh as she moves towards the book shelf in the corner of Beckett's large room to search for said book. After a moment, she grabs the worn paperback and smiles as she watches Maria settle on the edge of Beckett's bed with a tired expression.

 

"Okay, one story for the best kid in the world." Natasha sighs as she crosses the room to kneel on the floor and tries to hide her wince at her stinging ribs. "So, are you ready to hear all about our favorite baby star?"

 

"Uh huh." Beckett nods with a soft yawn.

 

"Once there was a baby star, he lived up near the sun. And every night at bedtime, that baby star wanted to have some fun." Natasha begins, she shares a quick glance with Maria who looks at her with complete adoration.

 

"He would shine and shine and fall and shoot and twinkle oh so bright," Maria whispers as she reaches out to sweep a hand through messy brown curls. "And he said, mommy I'll run away if you make me say goodnight."

 

Maria follows her verse with a small yawn and the noise causes Natasha's gaze to dart to her for a moment as she watches the way Maria rests her head in her hand as she sits beside their son. Blue orbs hold all the fatigue in the world, but Natasha can see that happiness. She can see the love. It was a love and happiness she knows has been gone for a while; life was beginning to make sense to them, especially now that Beckett was a part of it.

 

"And then his mommy kissed his sparkly nose and said, no matter where you go, no matter where you are, no matter how big you grow and even if you stray far," Natasha says while Beckett's eyes flutter close. "I'll love you forever because you're always my baby star."

 

By the time Natasha closes the book, Beckett's breaths come out in even bursts while his head droops to the side. Maria grins as she reaches down to straighten the sheets on Beckett's tiny body while she slowly draws away from the three-year-old. Natasha stands to return the book to the shelf before both women pause to give their son a kiss; they tiptoe out of the room and silence falls between them as they move towards their own room.

 

"I'm sorry I brought everyone here." Natasha whispers as she slides towards Maria and curls her arms around her waist. "I know you wanted to keep Beck away from all of this, but I didn't have a choice. There was..."

 

"Hey. Stop." Maria orders with a soft laugh. "It's okay. I understand. You don't have to explain anything to me, I know you wouldn't have brought them here if you didn't think that there was no other option."

 

"Thank you. For understanding." Natasha murmurs.

 

Maria pulls away with a smirk, "I married you for a reason, I'm the only one who _does_ understand."

 

The women separate reluctantly before they move to grab sleep wear; the pair dress in silence and Natasha is quick to throw her hair into a messy bun. It's all so familiar, nights like this. For a split second she forgets that her team is downstairs, that they're on the run from somebody desperate to kill them. For a moment, it's just another week away from her job. For a moment, it's just another evening with her family.

 

"I missed nighttimes with him." Natasha admits. "They're always my favorite."

 

"Why?" Maria chuckles. "He's a night bird, he bounces all over the place."

 

"I know, but when he finally calms down then all he wants to do is snuggle and hear his story. At night, it reminds me how innocent he really is." Natasha shrugs as she rubs at her tired eyes. "I've really missed his cuddles."

 

"Well, your kid is a monkey so I'm sure you'll get tons of hugs tomorrow." Maria assures her as she drops onto the large bed and stretches her arms over her head. "We had a busy day before you guys got here, I'm exhausted."

 

"Oh yeah? And what did you do?" Natasha asks as she crawls onto the bed and moves to straddle her wife who arches an eyebrow. "I mean, I hope it wasn't too exhausting because I had exciting plans for us."

 

Maria slides her hands up Natasha's back with a smirk, "I'm suddenly not so tired."

 

Natasha laughs as she captures Maria's lips with her own; like so many times before, clothes litter the floor as hands run across familiar skin. Lips map across pale skin as Maria cradles Natasha to her while the redhead digs her fingers into strong shoulders and allows her head to tilt back. Eventually, she pushes Maria back on the bed and doesn't hesitate to trace over a body she knows better than her own.

 

She takes what she needs, washes away the images of their mission with the images before her. She looks down at Maria and takes in the way blue eyes grow hazy with arousal. She allows her gaze to dance over messy dark locks and a lazy smile, she traces it all over and tucks it away to remember forever. Her fingers glide easily through soft wetness and Maria moans as her hips lift off the bed in search of something that only Natasha can give her; and with one last look of adoration, she slowly slides into Maria's core.

 

The moan that tears from the woman's throat causes Natasha's breath to catch as her full lips part in a silent gasp. All at once, Maria's back arches off the bed as she circles her legs around Natasha's hips and rocks her own in time with the slide of each slow thrust. Natasha sighs in contentment as she drops her head to press her lips against Maria's, she breathes in each moan and swallows it down as she leads Maria closer to the edge.

 

"Fuck, Nat..." Maria whispers as she squeezes her eyes shut.

 

Natasha chuckles low in her throat as she swipes her thumb over Maria's swollen clit and feels the way legs tighten ever so slightly around her hips. She wants this to last, she wants to keep Maria on the edge for the rest of forever. She doesn't want to ever rid herself of the image before her. Natasha continues to tease Maria's clit and she feels the way walls flutter softly around her fingers and pull her in deeper, and she curls them just right and she sees the ecstasy that flashes across Maria's face.

 

All at once, the woman tumbles and Natasha is quick to catch her as she guides her through every twitch of her muscles. Maria moans her name into her mouth and Natasha swears she has never tasted anything better than her own name on Maria's tongue. After a moment, Maria tears her mouth away and falls back on the bed and allows her forearm to fall over her eyes as her chest heaves in an effort to calm her racing heart.

 

"I missed that." Maria whispers.

 

Natasha rolls into her wife with a soft chuckle, "I missed _you_."

 

"I missed you too." Maria murmurs. "Let me show you?"

 

And Maria does just that.

 

**-x-**

 

_Natasha sees everyone rushing around and her sense of urgency boils deep in her stomach as she realizes that Beckett and Maria aren't there. She races forward and sees Coulson and his team, and she latches onto the first person she can get her hands on. Terrified eyes stare back at her, but all Natasha can think about is her family. All she can think about is that she needs to get to them, she needs to find her son._

 

_"Where is Maria? Where's Beckett?" Natasha demands._

 

_Fitz gaps and blinks in confusion, "Th-They're here..."_

 

_"Well? I will tear apart every room in this fucking compound if I have to." Natasha growls as she fists Fitz's shirt and yanks the young scientist close till she can see the fear in his eyes. "Tell me where my son is!"_

 

_"H-He's been...he's safe." Fitz stumbles out as his eyes widen. "I-I swear."_

 

_"Where is he?" Natasha snarls._

 

_Fitz barely has time to raise a finger before Natasha takes his hint and releases him with a quick shove, and then she's off. The fire burns low in her stomach as she turns the corner and tries to keep her pace slow, tries to refrain from running. She can hear Beckett's soft cries and she throws away her sense of clarity and takes off; every sob that sounds against the walls breaks her heart and she urges herself to go faster._

 

_But the hallway doesn't end. It just keeps going. On and on._

 

_Her legs feel tired and her body is much too heavy but she finally sees the halo of light and skids to a stop. Beckett is there, all blue eyes and wet cheeks and a body lays in front of him. His little overalls are smeared with dried blood and Natasha feels the air around her disappear as she takes in the lifeless blue eyes that stare back at her. Maria. It's her girl. Her world. Her every reason for pushing through._

 

_"Mama..." Beckett whispers as he looks at her. "You killed mommy."_

 

_Natasha looks down and sees the gun in her grasp and the blood on her hands; just another mark on her ledger._

 

"No!"

 

Maria gasps as she flies up in bed before she runs a hand through her hair as she glances over to watch her wife. Natasha arches her back as she claws at the sheets, sweat coats her body as she releases deep moans. The woman's heart drops as she reaches out to touch the older woman only to have her thrash away as she rolls onto her side and sobs; it breaks Maria's heart, tears apart the strength in her body.

 

Soft fingers curl around Natasha's shoulder as Maria rolls the woman flat on her back, and the touch causes Natasha's face to scrunch as tears continue to melt down the length of her face. Maria kicks off the silk sheets as she braces herself on her knees and stares down at her wife before she leans down to press their lips together; she knows it's a risky move, but she needs to draw her wife away from her dream.

 

"Nat," Maria whispers as she grabs Natasha's forearms and pulls her up, the brunette throws a leg over her wife's hip as she straddles her lap with a pained expression. "Nat, wake up. Please, baby. Please wake up."

 

Maria releases Natasha's arm and buries her fingers in fiery locks, she tugs lightly at the roots as she scatters kisses along pale skin an attempt to coax the older woman from her nightmare. Suddenly, her body is slammed down against the mattress and Maria gasps as a hand curls around her neck before she's met with cold green orbs. And then like a flip of the switch, the coldness washes away to fear.

 

"Maria..."

 

"Hey, it's okay." Maria whispers as she curls her fingers around Natasha's wrist and guides it away from her neck while the redhead stares at her with wide eyes. "You're okay. You were having a nightmare."

 

"I'm so sorry." Natasha murmurs. "I didn't mean to."

 

"Nat, it's okay." Maria soothes as she swings herself back into Natasha's lap and the older woman releases a deep breath as she buries her face in Maria's chest. "What happened, Nat? What were you dreaming about?"

 

"She got into my head." Natasha mumbles against Maria's chest as tears wet the skin. "I don't know how she did it, but she got in my head and she...I _killed_ you. I took you away from our son. I _murdered_ you."

 

"Hey," Maria coos as she pulls away from Natasha slightly before she cups the older woman's face and uses the pads of her thumbs to brush away drying tears. "I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere."

 

"It was so _real_." Natasha frowns as she shakes her head free of Maria's grasp before her head falls forward. "I-I close my eyes and I see it, I keep dreaming about it. It won't leave me alone, it's stuck in my head. _She's_ stuck in my head."

 

"She's not here, babe. I won't let her hurt you again." Maria assures her as she ducks her head to press their foreheads together. "You're home, okay? You're here with Beckett and I, you're safe. Nothing is going to happen."

 

"I can't lose you." Natasha rasps as she arches her head to capture Maria's lips with her own, her kisses are desperate and sloppy as she continues to peck the brunette's lips. "I love you, Maria. I love you."

 

"I love you, too." Maria assures her as she attempts to keep up with the kisses before she finally pulls away and gives the redhead a small smile. "Nat, it's okay. It was just a dream, you didn't hurt me."

 

"I don't ever want to think how my life would be if you weren't a part of it." Natasha mutters in a raspy tone as she pulls Maria closer to her and rests her cheek back on the brunette's chest. "I can't do this without you."

 

"Don't think about it, it won't ever happen. What is it that Rogers says? You're my best girl. I can't leave my girl." Maria whispers in a soft voice as she presses a gentle kiss to the top of Natasha's head. "I'm right here."

 

Natasha smiles lightly as she squeezes her eyes shut, "I...will you hold me?"

 

"I kind of already am." Maria teases.

 

"No." Natasha huffs as she shakes her head and pushes her hands against Maria's hips until the brunette rolls away and gives the redhead enough space to cuddle against her chest. "I can hear your heartbeat."

 

"Good. That means that I'm still alive." Maria snorts and her heart warms when she sees the barest hint of a smirk that tugs at the edge of Natasha's full lips. "There it is. I knew you were hiding a smile."

 

Natasha sighs softly as she turns her head to press a gentle kiss against Maria's chest, right over her heart. After a moment, she settles back and rests her fist on the woman's stomach as she allows her eyes to flutter shut. Maria holds her and scratches softly at her back while her fingers flirt with the edge of Natasha's t-shirt, every few seconds she ducks underneath to paw at pale skin.

 

"You have to stop believing you're a monster." Maria sighs, the words draw a gasp from Natasha as she tenses slightly. "You're not, Natasha. You're my wife, the mother of my child. You're _not_ a monster."

 

"Promise?" Natasha asks, her voice is soft and full of rare vulnerability.

 

"Cross my heart, and hope not to die." Maria nods as a smirk spreads across her face while Natasha slowly draws a cross over her heart and taps at the soft skin. "Go back to sleep, itsy bitsy."

 

"Don't call me that." Natasha huffs.

 

"Go..." Maria begins as she taps Natasha's nose. "To sleep."

 

Natasha swats Maria's hand away and settles her ear back against the brunette's chest. Maria simply watches her with a look of adoration as the older woman finally settles against her before her breaths slowly even out. With a smile, Maria squeezes Natasha to her before she leans back and follows Natasha into her dreams; both women drift off with the comfort of knowing they're in each other's protective embrace.

 

**-x-**

 

Natasha smells bacon.

 

That's the first thing she can register when she allows her eyes to flutter open and she smiles softly at the feel of her wife's naked body still pressed to her own. But the smile slowly slips away as she realizes that if Maria is in bed with her then that means somebody else is in her kitchen, somebody else is with her son. Without so much as jolting Maria, Natasha slides out of bed and quickly dresses herself.

 

The cool air of the morning nips at her skin as she hurries down the hallway and hops down the steps. She can hear laughter, and the smell of coffee curls easily through her nose as she finally patters around the kitchen. The sight causes her to stop short; Clint is flipping pancakes dramatically, Tony and Bruce are sipping coffee with similar sleepy expressions, Thor is shoveling bacon into his mouth and washing it down with orange juice, and Steve is standing at the counter with Beckett on his shoulders.

 

"Mama!" Beckett exclaims once he catches sight of the woman.

 

"Good morning, bud." Natasha whispers as she crosses the room and reaches for the child that opens and closes his hands in a show of reaching for his mother. "What are you doing up so early, Beck?"

 

"We're makin' you and mommy breakfast!" Beckett explains as he finally finds himself in Natasha's arms before he curls his tiny limbs around his mother's neck. "We're makin' you mommy pancakes and fruit."

 

"My favorite." Natasha grins.

 

Beckett nods his head eagerly so much that it bounces the dark curls on his head, "Uh huh. And Uncle Clint made coffee cause he says that Bruce will turn into a scary green monster if he doesn't have any."

 

"Wonderful." Natasha drawls as she flashes her best friend a glare before her eyes roll as he simply winks in response. "Thank you for making us breakfast, buddy. I haven't had pancakes in a long time."

 

"You have to have fruit with it too, 'member?" Beckett frowns as he taps Natasha's nose.

 

"Of course. One healthy thing to balance out the tasty thing." Natasha laughs as she presses a soft kiss to Beckett's head before she bends to set the child back on his feet. "Do you want apple slices or strawberries?"

 

"Stawberries!" Beckett exclaims with a slight lisp.

 

Natasha does as her son ordered and moves to the fridge to gather the basket of strawberries. She barely pays her team any mind as she gathers the cutting board and a knife before she begins to slice the strawberries and scoot them into a bowl. Mornings like these are the reason why Natasha pushes through; her child always makes everything a little better, her family makes it all worth it.

 

"Are we having a party?"

 

Beckett hums as he fumbles across the kitchen tiles, "Mommy!"

 

"Somebody is awake this morning." Maria chuckles as she catches Beckett and easily swings the toddler onto her hip before she looks around her kitchen. "Gotta admit, it's a little weird to wake up to a bunch of superheros in my kitchen."

 

"Fear not, Lady Hill," Thor booms. "We are no threat."

 

"I know, Thor." Maria laughs as she carries Beckett towards Natasha, she presses a soft kiss to messy red locks before she reaches to pop a strawberry into her mouth. "You guys didn't have to make breakfast."

 

"It's the least we can do, Maria." Clint shrugs as he shakes a pancake off the skillet and onto a large plate before Thor reaches for it with a large smile on his face. "You're letting us stay here."

 

"It's not often my wife has sleepovers." Maria teases.

 

Natasha rolls her eyes at Maria's words, "Oh you're so very funny."

 

"I know. You obviously married me because of my humor." Maria scoffs as she moves to set Beckett in his little booster seat before she brushes hair from her eyes. "Buddy, do you want orange juice or milk?"

 

"Mm..." Beckett taps his chin in silent thought. "Orange juice."

 

"Orange juice it is."

 

"This is weird." Tony mumbles into his coffee mug. "Does anyone else find this weird?"

 

"This is life, Stark. _My_ life." Natasha replies as she finishes with the last strawberry before she places both the knife and cutting board in the sink. "I'm not always the Black Widow, I'm also a wife and mother."

 

"That's why it's so weird." Tony scoffs.

 

"I'm married." Clint shrugs and his lips twist into a smile as he sees everyone look to him, most of them with expressions of surprise. "Yeah, I'm married with two kids and another on the way. Everyone has their secrets, Stark."

 

Tony sputters as he looks around the room, "Is anyone else here married?"

 

"No. Just Clint and I." Natasha replies in a calm tone as she glides to set a plate in front of Beckett, the toddler beams as he instantly reaches for his fork. "And to think, everyone thought we were the ones fooling around."

 

Clint chuckles at her words, "Who's to say we didn't?"

 

"Watch it, Barton." Maria chuckles as she rolls her eyes and runs a hand over the top of her son's head before she glances at Tony. "I know it's a lot to take in, but there are more important things you need to be focusing on."

 

"Like this team." Steve cuts in with a glance to Tony. "And what we stand for."

 

"We must take care of the magical one. She will only continue to cloud our minds with senseless things." Thor declares before he shoves a pancake into his mouth. "We shall depart soon, we cannot remain here."

 

Natasha looks at her occupied son, "We don't even know where to start."

 

Tony crosses his arms over his chest as he gives a humorless laugh, "I have a feeling that all we have to do is step into anywhere occupied and public and that bastard will hunt us down all on his own."

 

"Hey, watch what you say around Beckett." Steve orders with a frown.

 

"I'm so sorry, Capsicle. I forgot there was a tiny agent here." Tony sneers as he rolls his eyes and looks at the young boy. "We have things we need to discuss, and I'm sick of you trying to put it off. We need to figure out the future of this team."

 

Bruce arches an eyebrow, "That's to say we have a team by the team Ultron is done."

 

"Beck, why don't you go pick out a shirt for the day?" Maria suggests as she smooths her son's wayward curls before the boy nods eagerly. "Actually, get two. We'll see which one looks better with the pants I pick out."

 

"Cool! I'ma pick three!" Beckett exclaims as he scurries off his chair and towards the stairs.

 

Maria watches her son fumble up the first few steps with a light in her eyes, the adoration clear in her expression. Once the telltale signs of tiny feet disappear, the look melts away into something cold; it's an expression that is pure Commander Hill. The woman slowly scoots her chair back from the table and stands with her hands behind her back, she takes a stance that causes the team to straighten automatically.

 

"What in the hell is wrong with all of you?" Maria hisses as she looks between them with a quick glare. "You are the Avengers. You are _superheroes_. You do not get to sit around and pout because you lost _one_ fight."

 

Tony blinks at the woman, "We didn't just _lose_ , we got our asses kicked."

 

"And?" Maria drawls as she arches an eyebrow. "Do you know what you're supposed to do when that happens? You keep going, you pick each other up and you march on. You're a team, and it's time you act like one."

 

"It's not as simple as you seem to think, Hill." Tony snaps.

 

"Watch it, Stark." Natasha growls as she narrows her eyes at the man.

 

"No, she doesn't know how hard it is for us out there. She doesn't know how much pressure we're under. She doesn't know what it feels like to have your head fucked with so badly that you can barely tell reality from that fantasy." Tony hisses.

 

"Why all of that may be true, Stark," Maria begins in a calm tone. "I do know what it's like to watch my wife fight battles and wonder if she'll be coming home to our son. I know what it's like to see her torture herself for weeks after missions. You deal with the now and I deal with the aftermath."

 

"That..."

 

"I'm not going to trade playground insults with you, Stark. There are more important things at hand, you have a world to save." Maria reminds him in a forceful whisper. "You have people to protect, and you can't do that here. You need to outwit the asshole."

 

"Careful, babe," Natasha smirks. "Steve doesn't like that kind of talk."

 

Maria rolls her eyes and gives her wife a small smile, "Fine. You need to outwit Ultron. Is that better? That wasn't a bad language word, right?"

 

"Funny." Steve huffs. "And you're right."

 

"So, I'm going to ask you this once," Maria begins. "What does he _want_?"

 

Steve looks at his team and leans back in his chair, "He wants to become better than us. He keeps building bodies."

 

"Person bodies." Tony corrects as he takes a slow sip of his lukewarm coffee before he furrows his brow in thought. "The human form isn't officiant. Biologically speaking, we're outmoded. But he keeps coming back to it."

 

"And you two programmed him to protect the human race?" Natasha demands as she looks between Bruce and Tony who duck their heads in a show of silent shame. "Well, it's safe to say that you failed."

 

Bruce stands from his chair as he walks towards the fridge and taps a finger against a colorful butterfly before he looks back at confused expressions, "They don't need to be protected. They need to evolve. Ultron is going to _evolve_."

 

The room goes silent as they allow the information to sink it, as they take a moment to consider what it means. Natasha can't help but look to Maria, she sees the way her wife's jaw clenches and it draws a small wince from her. She hates that she's pulled Maria back into this world, SHIELD falling was supposed to free her but time and time again Natasha has drawn the woman right back to where she came from.

 

"So, what do we do?" Clint asks in a slow tone.

 

Tony polishes off his coffee and shrugs, "We do what we do best, we fight and stop him."

 

And just like that, the Avengers find their spark again.

 

**-x-**

 

Natasha leans against the doorway of her son's bedroom and watches as Maria sits with the little boy between her legs as she brushes his messy hair. The toddler sits in a peaceful silence as he rolls his toy cars across the rug and reaches for his favorite truck once Maria stops brushing. It's so simple, yet it makes Natasha feel as if her whole world is turning in slow motion.

 

"Mommy, can Steve live with us forever?" Beckett asks.

 

Maria laughs softly at the question as she finishes with Beckett's hair, "I don't think so, buddy. Steve has a home back in New York, and this is our home with mama. Plus I don't think there's any room for him."

 

"He can sleep in my treehouse." Beckett shrugs. "He just has to scrunch up really tight."

 

"I'm sure Steve has a bed that is perfect for him back at his house." Maria assures her as she presses a kiss to the side of his head. "Now, what are you wearing today? Do you want to wear a nice shirt or overalls?"

 

"I wanna wear a t-shirt like Steve." Beckett declares as he looks over his shoulder.

 

"Of course you do." Maria snorts. "Blue or red?"

 

"Green." Beckett replies.

 

Maria shakes her head as she plants a kiss to the top of Beckett's head before she slides her legs from around the child and stands from the hardwood floor. The woman spares her wife a small smile as she moves to Beckett's closet and Natasha takes the moment to slip into the room before she rushes to wrap her arms around her son. Loud squeals fill the air as Natasha presses kisses to his neck and squeezes him to her.

 

"Too tight, Mama!" Beckett whines as he struggles.

 

"Sorry, sorry. I just love you so much." Natasha whispers as she presses another kiss to Beckett's neck before she sets the child back on his feet and tugs at a curl. "I like your hair today, dude. Looks good."

 

Beckett grins, "Thank you for sayin' that."

 

"You're welcome, bud." Natasha laughs before her expression slowly sobers as she moves to lean down on one knee before she catches Beckett's gaze. "I came to give you a goodbye hug, I have to go now."

 

"But..." Beckett furrows his brow slowly. "You were only here for one sleep!"

 

"I know, Beck," Natasha sighs as she reaches to pull Beckett closer to her. "Mama just has some stuff to take care of, she has to go save the world again. I promise I'll be home soon though, okay? Just a few sleeps."

 

Beckett drops his head and sniffles, "Okay, Mama."

 

"I'm so sorry, buddy." Natasha murmurs as she presses a finger to Beckett's chin before she guides his head upward. "I know that I've been gone a lot lately, but I promise that we'll take a vacation really, really soon."

 

"A 'cation?" Beckett repeats. "To the sandy place?"

 

"Wherever you and your mom want to go." Natasha chuckles.

 

Beckett doesn't say anything more as he folds himself into Natasha's arms and sniffles softly against her neck; this was always the hardest part, the goodbyes. The feeling of knowing that she wasn't sure when she was coming back. The knowledge that her son is going to be left wondering when his mom will be safely returned to him. Natasha sighs as she closes her eyes and simply holds onto her little boy.

 

She knows some day this won't happen, some day she won't have to say goodbye. The thought causes her breath to catch as she pictures a simple life with Maria and Beckett; she imagines her and Maria walking away from SHIELD forever, away from Stark, and away from the Avengers. She sees them bringing more children into their world, she sees them settling down to enjoy their time, and she sees them growing old together.

 

But not yet, she still has a little more fight left in her.

 

Natasha swallows hard as she scoops Beckett into her arms and carries him from the bedroom and the toddler simply holds on tight, curls his arms until Natasha feels her airway cut off for a second. The team waits not too far away and Natasha watches with a careful eye as Maria gives them words of encouragement and releases a rare laugh as Thor scoops her into his arms and off her feet. Eventually, they walk away and leave the family standing on the porch with the distance growing between them already.

 

"I won't be long." Natasha assures them as she sets Beckett back on his feet.

 

"Just be careful." Maria orders.

 

Beckett nods as he wraps his arms around Maria's leg, "Be super careful, Mama."

 

"Anything you say." Natasha whispers.

 

Maria looks at her wife and maintains eye contact, "Go say goodbye to the team, Beck."

 

The three-year-old is off and down the stairs before the sentence is completely out of Maria's mouth and both women turn their heads when they hear a squeal and watch as Steve lifts Beckett over his head. For a moment, they stare at the scene and watch as Beckett gives each Avenger a kiss on the forehead, even Tony who looks at him with a soft expression. After a moment, Maria looks back at Natasha with a gentle smile.

 

"Come back to me, Romanoff." Maria orders as she pokes her wife in the chest and Natasha rolls her eyes as she grabs the finger and tugs the brunette forward. "I'm serious. I need you here for the next nine months, and the eighteen years that follow."

 

Natasha freezes as she blinks in shock, "W-What?"

 

"I was going to wait, but...I'm pregnant." Maria whispers and Natasha sputters on a breath as she looks from her wife's face to her trim stomach. "So, go out there and kick ass then come home to us. You, Beck, our future child, and I have a long life ahead of us."

 

"You're _pregnant_." Natasha breathes out. "We're having another baby?"

 

She tries to process the news; she knows that they've been trying and that the last few times have failed and she can't believe that they'll have another child soon. Her full lips part in shock as she searches for words, searches for something to say. All that comes out of her mouth is a jumble of words that she knows makes no sense; like so many times before, Maria Hill has managed to render her speechless.

 

"We are." Maria laughs, and Natasha is quick to reach down and cover the brunette's stomach with a gentle hand. "So, like I said, come back to me in one piece so we can get on with expanding our family."

 

Natasha looks at the woman with a new determination in her gaze, "Yes ma'am."

 

"Tasha, let's go!" Clint calls.

 

With one last glance at Maria's stomach, Natasha arches her head to press their lips together in a kiss that seals every promise and assures Maria that she is indeed going to be coming home. After a long moment, the redhead pulls away and takes a step back as a familiar lopsided smile appears on her face. She takes in her wife who moves to gather her running son in her arms and both give Natasha matching smiles as they wave; Natasha turns away with the image locked in her head and a set game plan in her head.

 

She was going to kick some AI ass and then get home to her family.


	4. They Say Bad Things Happen For A Reason

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Violence. Deals with stalking.

**My own prompt: AU Black Hill! Badass Detective Natasha and adorable lawyer Maria :)**

 

A lulling radio plays softly in the kitchen of the Hill-Romanoff family, two women move around each other with ease only to pause every few seconds to steal a kiss; it's perfect, much like any other morning in the home. The sun streams through the windows and casts a gentle glow on red and brown locks and soft heels click on the tile of the floor as the older woman moves to check their coffee machine.

 

"Toast?"

 

"Do you even need to ask?" Natasha Romanoff teases as she backs her wife into the counter, Maria grins at her wife as she rolls her eyes. "You've been married to me for the last three years...shouldn't you know me by now?"

 

"Excuse me? I _do_ know you." Maria scoffs as she draws her lower lip into her mouth and allows her eyes to flutter shut as Natasha brushes her lips over her pulse point. "I just know that you prefer toast on some mornings and bagels on the other."

 

Natasha draws away and flashes a small smile, "Touche."

 

"Uh huh. So, who knows who better?" Maria smirks as she shoves a gentle hand against her wife's chest and the redhead backs away with a small laugh. "So, you have court today and then you're coming home?"

 

"I'll need to stop by the office afterwards, just to check up on some things," Natasha replies as she pours coffee into two silver travel mugs. "But after that, I'll be home and I'll help you get dinner ready for Peggy and Angie."

 

Maria grins softly, "I'm so glad I have you whipped."

 

Natasha shakes her with a small smile and focuses on the coffee in front of her; she never thought she would have this life, the picture perfect house with the clean cut lawn and the beautiful wife that waits inside. She grew up on the same street as two mischievous boys and spent a lot of time trailing behind him, but all three of them were quick to follow each other into the police academy and were now on the same unite.

 

Even though her dream came true, Natasha found that she had been lonely; Steve and Tony both had someone to go home to every night and all Natasha had was a shoebox apartment. But that had all changed when she had managed to convince the new lawyer and cousin of Sharon Carter-Rogers to let her take her on a date. And those dates continued until Natasha offered Maria a key and that key was followed closely by her proposing to her girlfriend one night as they lay in candle light, sated and content; and now, after all these years, she still holds onto that happiness.

 

"Be safe today, alright?" Maria orders as she moves to offer her wife a slice of toast while she reaches to grab her travel mug. "Try to refrain from staying at work and getting into a shoot out or strapping on your bullet proof vest."

 

"That's too bad. I look sexy in my Kevlar." Natasha pouts.

 

"As sexy as you may be, I like you alive." Maria replies as she ducks her head and waits for Natasha to lift her own as their lips meet in a kiss that lingers a moment. "I love you, Natasha Romanoff. You better come home to me."

 

"I love you more, Maria Romanoff." Natasha grins. "And you know I will."

 

-

 

"Well, someone cleans up nicely."

 

Natasha rolls her eyes at the dramatic tone of her partner who moves easily up the steps of the precinct a few feet behind. With a glance over her shoulder, Natasha watches as Clint Barton drags his eyes over her form in her pencil skirt and maroon blouse before he arches an eyebrow. With a shake of her head, Natasha continues her way into the building and tries to ignore the burn of Clint's eyes on her.

 

"Your legs go on for miles, Tasha." Clint Barton teases. "If you weren't married..."

 

"You still wouldn't stand a chance." Natasha cuts in as she flashes a look of amusement before she reaches out to flick the man in the arm. "I was in court, by the way. And you know that this is the proper attire."

 

"I'm only joking, I think you look beautiful." Clint shrugs before he opens the door that leads to their teams crowded desk area, the pair walk slowly shoulder to shoulder. "So, how'd it go? Did Samson get maximum?"

 

"He did." Natasha hums and Clint nods his head in a show of silent victory to the news. "It really didn't take much convincing for the jury, the evidence was stacked so high against him I'm surprised there even needed to be a trial."

 

"Well, it's good that no one will have to fear taking morning jogs anymore." Clint smiles as he pauses at his desk and leans back against the hard wood. "What are you even doing here? I thought you'd be off enjoying the rest of your day."

 

"I wanted to check up on something I heard about," Natasha replies as she moves towards her desk and snatches the manila folder before her thumb flicks through the white pages. "I think I told you about her, but do you remember Casey Donaldson?"

 

"Um, kind of?" Clint frowns as he furrows her brow for a moment before his face lights up in remembrance. "Wait, isn't she the nineteen-year-old prostitute that's friends with your CI? She witnessed a mugging, right?"

 

"That's her." Natasha sighs as she glances up from the file before she closes it and tosses it aside on her desk. "I was talking to my CI and she told me that Casey hasn't been working her normal corners and she hasn't seen her around."

 

"You can't be serious." Clint scoffs as he immediately straightens up as he listens to his partner give a hard sigh. "That's the seventh girl to go missing from that district. One every month."

 

"Yeah, but if something really is happening then we've got nothing." Natasha scoffs with a shrug of her shoulders. "We found Kayleigh McGee's body last month, but the other bodies haven't surfaced. And that's if there _is_ any bodies."

 

"Tasha, you and I both know there is..."

 

"Well, Fury said we can't look into it without another body so we don't really have a choice on waiting this one out." Natasha reminds him as she throws a glance to the clock ticking on the wall. "I need to get going."

 

"Nat," Clint calls as the woman goes to leave, the redhead pauses and looks back to her partner with an arched brow. "I know you want to work this case, and I know it bothers you, but don't leave me out of it."

 

"I wouldn't dream of it, Barton," Natasha chuckles. "If I go down, you're coming with me."

 

Natasha leaves the precinct with a smile of contentment while she tries to calm the thoughts that race desperately through her head; the recent murders of fair haired, green eyed prostitutes came across her desk two months back and she has been stuck on solving it. The only problem is the lack of evidence and bodies. Natasha is ready to investigate, to put aside the rest of her cases to focus on this one but her sergeant wants to make sure that there is something to actually look into.

 

For the last two months, Natasha has been using her free time to pour over files and to look into morgues, she's been searching for the missing pieces of a puzzle she doesn't think she's ever going to be able to solve. She and Clint are clueless and frustrated, but with yet another prostitute missing Natasha knows that waiting wasn't an option for them anymore. She isn't going to let the people in her streets be harmed anymore, she knows it's time she hunts this guy down before he does anymore damage.

 

-

 

"Do you mind using your manners tonight?" Maria asks as she and Natasha finish with the table before green eyes snap to look at her in confusion. "I know you and Aunt Angie don't really see eye to eye."

 

"It's not my fault that she hates me, Ria." Natasha protests with a small scowl as she sets a wine glass down. "I don't understand why she rags on me for my job when her wife did the same thing. I mean, Peggy was _FBI_."

 

"She never wanted Sharon and I to marry cops." Maria shrugs as she moves towards Natasha and reaches out to brush a fiery strand from her eyes. "She just knows I'd lose my mind if anything ever happened to you, she's being protective."

 

Natasha sighs as she reaches out to gently frame Maria's face and she feels her wife shiver at the coolness of her wedding band, "What did I tell you the day that we got married?"

 

"You said that just because you ate chips in bed that..."

 

"Not that!" Natasha cuts in with a laugh.

 

"Oh," Maria chuckles as she drags the word out and rolls her eyes in mock thought. "I think you said some bullshit stuff about how you did this for me. To protect me. Oh, and you admitted to carrying a picture of me behind your badge."

 

"Wow. Thank you for making my vows sound _so_ romantic." Natasha sneers before her lips tilt up at Maria's grin. "I'm serious, babe. Everything I do is to keep this city safe for you, and I carry that picture to remind myself of what's waiting for me at home."

 

"I love you." Maria whispers.

 

"I love you, too."

 

Natasha arches her head to press her lips to her wife's only for the doorbell to break them apart, the detective pouts as Maria pulls away from her with a look of excitement; as if she doesn't see her aunts at least three times a week. With a frown, Natasha stuffs her hands into the back pockets of her skinny jeans and moves towards the foyer where the two are wrapped in a hug while Peggy stands off to the side with a small smile.

 

"Peggy." Natasha greets as she moves to hug the woman.

 

"Natasha," Peggy grins as she squeezes the woman to her. "You're looking thin, darling."

 

"I know, I know. Work has been hectic so I haven't had much of Maria's cooking." Natasha sighs as she glances over her shoulder to watch as Angie grapples onto Maria. "I could've sworn Maria mentioned that they had coffee yesterday morning..."

 

"Oh, they did. You know that Angie just adores her." Peggy laughs as she gives a small roll of her eyes. "She's been trying to convince me for ages to look for a house in this area. She seems to think it would be good for us to be closer to Maria and Sharon."

 

"It probably wouldn't be a bad idea. Crime rate is low here, and the houses come with state of the art security systems. Plus the schools are really good." Natasha nods. "The schools are the only reason Maria likes it out here."

 

"I just want to be sure that our children have the best education they can. Unlike you, crime rates aren't the only thing on my mind." Maria teases as she arches an eyebrow and moves to circle her arms around Natasha's waist. "Crime rates don't mean much to me."

 

"You're married to a detective, I use crime rates as bedtime stories." Natasha chuckles as she presses a soft kiss to her wife's lips and nudges their noses together. "Hey, Angie. Haven't seen you in a while."

 

"We had dinner last Thursday." Angie reminds her. "Have you quit your job?"

 

"Not yet. And before you ask, neither has Steve or Tony." Natasha replies as she forces a smile before she tilts her head and glances back at the set table. "So, I hope you guys are hungry. We made chicken."

 

"You were actually home to help cook?" Angie frowns.

 

"Well, I just watched and offered myself as eye candy." Natasha shoots over her shoulder as she guides Maria to the dining room. "And believe it or not, I'm home more than you think. I'm only away for longer hours when we're working a hard case."

 

"Must be nice." Peggy hums. "A few hours of freedom."

 

Natasha laughs softly as she hears a loud slap before Peggy grumbles in protest and reaches out to pinch at Angie's side. The sight causes Natasha's heart to warm as she sees the happiness and love that shines between the couple before she feels a hand tug on her own as Maria guides her into the kitchen. The couple is silent as they gather the chicken and vegetables and Natasha glances up as she feels eyes to burn into her and she sees the way Maria stares at her with a silent apology.

 

"Oh, don't worry," Natasha shrugs. "You'll make up for this."

 

The dinner is simple, easy. The foursome chatter about their lives and other nonsense while the day turns to night. Maria talks about their friends visiting soon while Peggy has the table laughing as she tells them about her newest obsession with gardening. As Natasha sips her wine, she feels a heavy gaze and she glances up to catch Angie's slight glare. With a sigh, Natasha shakes her head and quickly looks away from the woman. She knows Angie hates her job, she hasn't been shy about admitting it, but Natasha doesn't like to think about it.

 

She knows Angie worries about Maria, worries about what will happen to her niece if something were to ever happen to Natasha. Not that Natasha thinks about it. She doesn't like to think about the possibility of things not going her way on the job. She doesn't like to entertain the idea that there might come a day when she doesn't walk through the front and smell fresh baked bread and hear her wife's laughter or soothing voice as she sang along to the radio.

 

"Babe?" Maria calls and her voice snaps Natasha from her thought.

 

"Hm?"

 

Peggy reaches for her wine glass as she frowns, "I asked if you were working any cases."

 

"Not at the moment. Well, nothing substantial." Natasha replies after a beat of silence, the woman tightens her jaw and follows Peggy's example as she goes for her wine glass. "Clint and I pretty much have been entertaining ourselves with watching the rookies train."

 

"It's amazing how much trouble the two of you get into." Maria scoffs as she flashes a soft glance towards her wife. "But I do have to hand it to him, he's saved your life more times then I'd like to think about so I'll always be grateful to him."

 

"Hey, I've saved his life too!" Natasha protests as she swirls her wine before she takes a small sip of the bitter liquid. "We split up one time and I stopped a man from strangling him."

 

"Natasha!" Maria exclaims with a small laugh.

 

"What?" Natasha sneers with a smile of amusement. "I just wanted to prove that I save him too."

 

"Maybe you shouldn't tell your wife stories like that." Angie scolds with a frown. "I'm sure she has enough stress picturing you out chasing criminals, she really shouldn't have to hear about you almost dying."

 

"I didn't almost die. _Clint_ did." Natasha corrects as she sets her glass aside and drapes an arm over the back of Maria's chair. "Maria loves my stories anyway, she likes to live vicariously through me since she's just a boring lawyer."

 

"This lawyer works for _your_ precinct, she doesn't need to live through you." Maria snorts as she reaches out to smack the detective's chest only for the woman to catch her hand and press her lips to her engagement and wedding band. "You think you're cute."

 

"I was only joking." Natasha whispers as she leans over to press her nose against Maria's cheek and lingers for a moment before she throws a glance to Angie. "Don't worry so much, Angie. I'm perfectly alright."

 

"For now." Angie scoffs.

 

"You have such little faith in me. It hurts." Natasha pouts as she glances to Maria who hides her laughter in her wine glass. "I'm perfectly alright, Angie. I'm good at my job and I play it safe, you don't have to worry."

 

"My wife always said the same thing. Didn't stop her from gettin' shot." Angie huffs as she swallows the last of her wine and stands. "Your luck will run out, Natasha. And then what's going to happen to Maria? Think she'll still find your stories funny?"

 

Natasha feels the humor slip away from her as Angie's words circle in her head and she silently goes through the motions of seeing the couple off. Her green eyes stay unfocused as she makes promises to Peggy about setting up lunch next week and gives Angie a small hug. The words resound in her head as the night wears on; she hears it as she cleans up dinner, as she does the dishes, as she stands in the shower with water that burns her skin, and as she climbs in bed beside her wife.

 

"Nat, what are you thinking about?" Maria demands.

 

"My luck." Natasha mutters as she scoots down on the mattress to curl herself into Maria's arms while her lips settle against her chest. "Do you...I mean, do you ever think that my luck is going to run out?"

 

"Don't listen to her," Maria scolds. "She didn't mean it."

 

"Maria, I don't ever want to be the cause of your pain." Natasha murmurs as she bites down on her lower lip for a moment. "I'm always so careful when I'm working a case because I don't ever want you to have to stand on the porch while Clint tells you I'm not coming home."

 

Maria goes silent before she finally sighs, "What's your first and last thought when you work a case and you have to go in for a bust or do something equally as stupid and dangerous? Be honest with me."

 

"You." Natasha answers instantly. "It's always you."

 

"Okay." Maria nods. "Then you should know that I don't worry, I know you will always try as hard as you can to come back to me."

 

"You're the most important part of my life, of _me_." Natasha whispers. "You're everything that I never thought I'd have, and I just want to make sure that you're happy. But if you don't want this life, if you don't like me doing this..."

 

"You wouldn't walk away even if I asked you to." Maria scoffs as she glances down at the woman on her chest who slowly lifts her gaze. "This is your _dream_ , Nat. This is what you, Steve, and Tony worked so hard for. I'd never ask you to leave it."

 

Natasha sighs as she nuzzles her nose in Maria's neck, " _You_ are a dream."

 

"Well, not really," Maria purrs as she shifts their bodies so she can hover over her wife as her hand glides along the silk of their sheets. "I'd say I'm a dream come _true_ , since we're married and everything."

 

"Oh yeah." Natasha hums as she muffles her words against Maria's lips. "I forgot."

 

"Well, that's not very nice," Maria whispers as she slowly runs her hand under Natasha's tanktop and skims over her stomach before she curls her hand around lace and supple skin. "Let me remind you then."

 

-

 

"Morning, Nat." Steve greets as he glances to watch as Natasha walks into the bullpen with a small smile and the redhead shoots him a bright one in return. "What's with the smile? Didn't you have dinner with Angie last night?"

 

"I did. But I had dessert with my wife." Natasha smirks.

 

"Too much, Romanoff." Steve frowns as he furrows his brow. "Don't tell me these things."

 

"Hey, you two," Clint calls as he peeks his head into the room and watches as both Natasha and Steve look to him with wide eyes. "Apparently we have a body. Boss says we're hitting the ground running on this one."

 

Natasha frowns at her partner's words before she stands and grabs her jacket from her desk as she hurries after Clint. The two are quiet as they watch as Steve waits for Tony to return from the bathroom while they hurry out to their waiting car. The air seems tense and Natasha can't explain why she feels so uncomfortable as she shrugs on her leather jacket and easily flips her hair from the collar. With a hard swallow, she shakes off the way her stomach rolls and focuses on giving a deep breath.

 

"So much for a morning of files." Natasha notes as she pulls open the passenger door and catches Clint's smirk before the two duck into the car. "I was hoping that I would be able to get home early tonight."

 

"Oh?" Clint teases. "Why is that?"

 

"Nothing like that. We had enough of that last night...and this morning." Natasha chuckles as she buckles herself while Clint pulls off into light traffic. "Tonight Maria and I are planning to look through some donors."

 

"Really?" Clint gaps.

 

"Yeah. We've decided that we're ready to start preparing for a baby." Natasha nods with a look of excitement as she stares out the window. "Maria wants someone who looks like me, but I really just want a child that looks just like her."

 

"Natasha, you're beautiful. I'm not surprised she wants a child that looks like you." Clint scoffs as he gives a shake of his head. "A child with your hair and eyes and Maria's personality? You'll have to lock her away when she turns sixteen."

 

"Maria and I think that the first baby is going to be a boy." Natasha shrugs as she gives a small smile. "But anybody that approaches my child will be too afraid to do anything once they figure out their mom is a cop."

 

"Not just a cop, but a _badass_ detective." Clint corrects and Natasha flashes him a playful wink as she gives a weak flex. "So, are you going to ask your favorite partner to be a godparent?"

 

"Believe me, if I had a say then yes," Natasha sighs. "But we'll probably ask Sharon and Steve."

 

"I wish I could say that I'm surprised by that, but I am not." Clint mumbles as he pulls to a stop behind the police cars with lights that dart around. "I just hope you realize that you'll be missing out on a wonderful godfather."

 

"Always so full of yourself, Barton." Natasha chuckles as the pair exit the car and her gaze sweeps over the crowd that buzzes with excitement as they look at the alley. "I don't understand the appeal of hanging out at a crime scene."

 

"They're curious. It's human nature." Clint shrugs as he ducks under the crime scene tape before his smile drops as he catches sight of Tony and Steve. "What the hell? How did the two of them get here first?"

 

"Stark knows back ways, and it's not a race." Natasha scolds as she rolls her eyes and tucks her hand into her jacket pocket to remove her iPhone. "I'm going to shoot Maria a text, let her know I'll probably be home late."

 

Natasha trails behind her partner as she subtly types out a text to her wife, it takes Maria two seconds to respond to her text with sad emojis and Natasha follows it with several apologies. As she attempts to wrap up the conversation, she hears the soft buzz of Fury prattling off information about the victim. Natasha finishes her text and glances up as she hears Clint's sharp intake of a breath and she furrows her brow as she looks to where the body rests.

 

"Nat..." Clint frowns.

 

It's the body of Casey Donaldson.

 

-

 

"Any luck?" Nick Fury demands as his detectives trudge into the bullpen.

 

"No. We scoured the crime scene." Natasha sighs as she rubs tiredly at her brow and drops gracefully in her chair. "It's obviously not where she was killed, no sign of blood or anything. It was just a dump sight."

 

"Her MO is the same as Kayleigh McGee's," Clint notes as he stares at the board that is set up in the center of the room. "She was tortured, sexually assaulted, and then suffocated. This guy has a type and a way of disposing of them."

 

"We don't know if this is the same guy." Fury scolds as he glances to the woman before he pins the picture of Casey's body on the board. "Right now, we're just looking for Ms. Donaldson's killer."

 

"They're obviously the same people." Natasha scoffs as she leans back in her chair and meets Fury's glare. "Sir, the only difference is that there was actually a body this time. There are five other girls' out there somewhere."

 

"Natasha's right." Clint shrugs. "My guess is that he's probably disposed of the five other bodies and we just haven't been able to locate them. Kayleigh and Casey's bodies were left in public places, out in the open."

 

"Why would he just randomly change his dump sight though?" Tony demands as he folds his arms and leans back in his chair. "If we found Kayleigh and Casey's bodies in public settings, why would he hide the other five bodies?"

 

"We don't even know if there are bodies." Fury reminds them in a stern tone.

 

"The five other women were reported missing from the same district and they were all blondes." Steve points out as he arches an eyebrow. "Maybe it's not the same guy and it just happens to be a coincidence, but we both know you don't believe in those."

 

"In our line of work? There's no such thing." Fury sighs as he turns his attention back to the board and allows his gaze to roam freely over the information they have pulled together. "I can't say anything more until we have more evidence."

 

Natasha watches as everyone falls into their normal roles before the redhead throws a glance at the clock and winces as she notes how late it's getting; she has no doubt they'll be spending the rest of their night with files and speculations. The chair creaks slightly as she stands and moves to the corner of the room with her phone in her hand, and her thumb hovers over Maria's smiling face for a beat; after a moment, she finally gives in.

 

_"Nat, please tell me you're on your way home."_

"I would, but that would be lie." Natasha sighs as she leans her shoulder against the wall and peeks back at the team to see them all texting their own wives. "We caught a case, I won't be home for a few more hours."

 

_"Natasha, we set aside this day to look through the donors."_

"Babe, I know. Believe me, I know." Natasha assures as she pinches the bridge of her nose while she squeezes her eyes shut. "This case is...it's important, Maria. It's going to take a while to get through it."

 

A huff of frustration sounds, _"So are you saying we're putting this aside again?"_

"No. No, babe." Natasha replies as she shakes her head. "We're not putting this aside again, I promise. This weekend we will spend the whole forty eight hours going through donors if that's what you want."

 

_"I wanted to do it tonight."_

Natasha giggles at the grumpy tone Maria uses before she licks her lips and leans further against the wall, "I know, I know. I'm sorry but I can't. But this weekend? I'm yours. My mind and body belong to Maria Hill."

 

_"They already belong to me. And it's Romanoff."_

"What? Since when?" Natasha demands.

 

_"Since three years ago. Now, get to work. I love you."_

"I love you, too."

 

_"And, Nat? Be safe."_

"Always, Maria."

 

The phone call ends and Natasha takes a moment to stare at her background; her lips twitch up as she stares at her wife and herself covered in flour, she remembers that night like it was yesterday. She sighs as she continues to stare down at her wife and it only reminds her of why she does this job, why it was all worth it. She knows all the hours she works is worth it as long as she can keep the woman she loves safe.

 

"Stop mooning over your wife." Tony orders.

 

Natasha glances at her friend with a smirk, "Oh, so you're not mooning over Pepper?"

 

"I don't know what you're talking about." Tony scoffs as he shuffles through a few papers and avoids the amusement that he knows is on the woman's face. "Stop looking at me like that and come help me with these files."

 

"Fine." Natasha pouts.

 

-

 

Maria frowns as she slowly pulls her eyes open and her gaze squints into the darkness as she watches a figure move throughout the bedroom. With a small yawn, Maria sits up on the bed and rubs tiredly at her eyes before she mutters a quiet greeting. The figure jumps in surprise and Maria giggles softly as she hears the clang of Natasha's badge hitting the dresser before the older woman grumbles under her breath.

 

"I could've easily been someone breaking into the house." Natasha teases as she moves towards the bed and leans down to drop a kiss to Maria's forehead. "Or I could've been your aunt sneaking in to repaint our kitchen walls. Again."

 

"I'm too tired for your teasing, leave Angie alone." Maria whines as she grapples for Natasha's only to brush her hand along smooth skin and she sighs as she uses Natasha's necklace to guide her towards her lips.

 

Natasha presses her hands to the mattress as she falls into the kiss and her tongue eagerly parts Maria's lips as she tangles a hand in dark locks. Her heart patters evenly in her chest at the way Maria continues the sleepy kiss before she draws away to brush their noses together, she yawns with a sleepy blink. With a soft smile, Natasha presses a quick kiss to Maria's head before she reaches for her night shirt.

 

"Mm," Maria hums. "Missed you."

 

"I missed you." Natasha grins as she pulls her night shirt on and Maria whines as her body jostles with the movements of Natasha climbing on her side. "Are you awake enough for me to show you how much?"

 

"No." Maria chuckles as she rolls over to press a kiss to Natasha's neck before she breathes in the familiar coconut bodywash and vanilla perfume. "Why are you so hyper? Did you manage to finish the case already?"

 

"Not even close." Natasha frowns as she buries her nose in Maria's hair and curls a gentle arm around the taller woman's shoulders. "I've just had a few too many cups of coffee."

 

"What have I told you about drinking coffee this late?" Maria scolds.

 

"You said not to, but I had to! This case is going to be keeping me up for the next few nights, probably weeks." Natasha confesses as she blows out a long breath. "I wanted to at least go through as many files as I could tonight."

 

"Weeks?" Maria mutters as she glances up at Natasha.

 

"Hey, you don't have to look at me like that," Natasha whispers. "Just because I'm working on this case doesn't mean that we can't begin the process of starting our family. That's what I'm focused on, okay? I'm all in."

 

"You've never taken your focus off a case before, Nat."

 

"Well, that was before my wife and I decided to start a family. _You_ are my focus, okay?" Natasha shrugs as she drops a few kisses to Maria's hairline. "Of course this case is going to be important, but you matter more."

 

"I'll have to remind you of that when you're spending seventy two hours locked in your precious precinct with Clint and the Wonder Twins." Maria mumbles as she smothers a yawn and cuddles into Natasha's side.

 

Natasha smiles lovingly down at her wife as Maria finally drifts back off, the redhead stares down at the woman she loves so dearly and she can't help but think of the information they had stumbled upon. The imaginary ghost Natasha has been chasing for the last two months isn't make believe after all, he is alive and waiting for somebody to catch up with his games; Natasha is determined to be the one to do it.

 

She spent an hour in the morgue just staring down at Casey Donaldson who had once been a bouncy young woman, her green eyes so bright and glazed that Natasha knew a life off the streets was no longer a possibility for her. Natasha had known Casey, had talked to her, and now she is just another body ripped from the world too soon. She is a smile that will never be seen again, a life that will never be able to be fixed.

 

Fury practically threw Natasha out the door that evening after the woman had sat parked at her desk with the same file staring up at her, the same words spun in her head and jumbled together. Her boss had simply shut the file before locking eyes with Natasha and reminding her that she has a life outside the precinct, that she has a life that doesn't involve her staring at files trying to catch a serial killer.

 

Sometimes Natasha forgets that.

 

Sometimes as she sits buried in murders and horrors, Natasha forgets that the one good thing in her world is waiting at home for her with a kiss and soft words and promises; she has her perfect thing and Natasha will do anything to protect that. A small whine catches Natasha's attention and she chuckles adoringly as she looks down at Maria once more before she settles back against her pillows, the redhead finally gives into a restless sleep that is haunted with green eyes and Maria's screams.

 

-

 

"You look like you got as much sleep as I did." Natasha notes as she catches up with her partner outside the police building and Clint simply arches an eyebrow and offers her a coffee. "What are we doing today?"

 

"We need to talk to the victim's families, see if they had seen them around lately." Clint sighs around the rim of his cup and watches as Natasha bites her lower lip. "Drink your coffee, wake yourself up a bit."

 

"Okay." Natasha whispers as she opens the door for the man and both walk into the building and quickly move towards their bullpen. "We should take the Donaldson family, Steve and Tony can talk to Kayleigh's dad."

 

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Clint frowns as he pulls off his jacket and drapes it over the back of his chair before he catches Natasha's scowl. "You knew the victim, you have an attachment to her. It might be better if we speak with Kayleigh's father."

 

"Look, Casey was my CI's friend and I knew her," Natasha snaps as she leans against her desk and flexes her jaw. "She was a good girl, Clint. She was just lost, and I think I owe it to her family to let her know that their child was still in there."

 

"I just don't want you getting too wrapped up in this, Natasha," Clint whispers as he shakes his head. "We don't even know if we're going to be able to find anything on this guy, we don't know a single thing about him."

 

"Well, we know he has a thing for blonde prostitutes." Natasha offers as she moves towards the board and scans her gaze over the scrawl of information. "They both had green eyes. Think that could be a connection?"

 

"It _could_ be a coincidence." Clint offers before he catches the look that Natasha shoots him over her shoulder and man simply rolls his eyes. "Right. On this job, there is no such thing as a coincidence, right?"

 

"Exactly." Natasha nods.

 

"Ladies." Tony greets as he and Steve stroll into the room.

 

"Wow, I think this is the first time that you've been early." Clint scoffs and a smirk curls at the corners of his mouth as Tony flashes him a glare. "Don't look at me like that, Stark. I'm not afraid of you."

 

"Whatever you say, Barton." Tony chuckles. "So, anymore connections?"

 

"Nothing that raises any red flags." Clint shrugs as he glances up to watch as Fury hurries towards them with his eyes glued to a file. "Sir, Romanoff and I are going to speak with the Donaldson family."

 

"Okay." Fury nods. "Careful on the information you release."

 

Clint gives a brief nod while Natasha finishes her last few sips of coffee and tosses her cup away as she trails after her partner. The pair is silent as they slide into their car and Clint flashes his partner a glance every few seconds as he pulls into traffic. Clint had been less than thrilled when he had been stuck with Natasha as a partner, especially since the Natasha, Steve, and Tony were so popular in the police world, but after four years of working together Clint knows he couldn't have anyone better to watch his back.

 

"You know," Clint begins in a calm tone. "You've been kind of distant."

 

"What?" Natasha frowns as she flashes her partner a glance and Clint simply arches an eyebrow and gives a weak shrug in response. "I don't know what you're talking about. I'm fine. I've just been thinking about the case."

 

"Natasha, don't shut me out. I know how you get when it comes to overworking yourself and I don't want your death on my hands." Clint mumbles as he pauses behind a moving van. "This job wouldn't be the same without you."

 

Natasha smirks, "You'd miss me that much?"

 

"That's a stupid question. Of course I would." Clint snorts as they finally make a break in the traffic and cruise easily through the streets before the man perks his lips into a small, amused smirk. "I have a confession..."

 

"Oh?" Natasha sings. "Do tell."

 

"About three months after we became partners, I almost asked you out." Clint admits as he gives a bitter chuckle and avoids looking to Natasha. "But then you met Maria and you fell in love pretty fast. I lost my chance."

 

"Well, if you ask anyone on the force, you and I have been having an affair for some time. My poor wife." Natasha teases as she gives a small shake of her head. "I'm flattered by your confession though."

 

"Don't make it into a thing." Clint orders as he scrunches his nose. "Please."

 

Natasha laughs and nods, "Your secret is safe with me."

 

The two drive in silence for the next thirty minutes before they finally pull into the typical suburban area. The car seems to go so much slower as it rolls down the street and finally stops at a perfect house, the lawn manicured to perfection. Natasha gives a hard swallow as she pulls herself free of the vehicle and glances up to stare at the beautiful home. She can see flashes of Casey living here, she can picture her sneaking out from the top window or running through the large yard.

 

"You okay?" Clint asks as they move towards the front door.

 

Natasha shakes her head to clear the false memories and scoffs, "Not even close to okay."

 

Clint flashes his partner one last look, takes in her tired green eyes and the dark circles under them, before he finally reaches out to press hard on the doorbell. They can hear the chime of bells on the other side and Natasha swallows down the urge to vomit as she hears the patter of footsteps. The door pulls open a moment later and Natasha feels her heart skip a beat as green eyes greet her; a tired man looks between them as he forces a smile on his face and rubs at his brow.

 

"May I help you?"

 

"Sidney Donaldson?" Natasha asks as she clears her throat.

 

"That would be me." The man nods. "Can I help you?"

 

"Mr. Donaldson, I'm Detective Romanoff and this is my partner Detective Barton," Natasha begins as she holds her badge up and watches as green eyes flash towards it before he gives a hard swallow.

 

"Is this about Casey?" Sidney whispers.

 

"Sir, would it be okay if we came inside?" Clint asks in a gentle tone.

 

"Yeah. Yes. Of course." The man nods as he steps back from the doorway and watches as the pair wonder into his home, the two flash quick glances at a row of pictures. "Um, should I go and get my wife?"

 

Natasha answers with a small nod and waits patiently for the man to vanish into the kitchen before she releases a heavy breath. Her bright eyes take a moment to look around the living room and she cringes at the basic shrines to Casey. The fireplace showcases a line of photos up until her graduation of high school, and Natasha sucks in a breath at the happiness in those bright orbs; she can't help but wonder what caused that light to fade.

 

"Detectives?"

 

"Mrs. Donaldson." Clint greets.

 

"Do you...are you here about Casey?" Sidney demands as he sets his hands on his hips, his gaze flashes towards his wife who moves to lower herself on the couch. "Has she gotten herself into more trouble?"

 

"Mr. and Mrs. Donaldson, when was the last time that you spoke with Casey?" Natasha questions as she looks between them and catches the way they swap looks of confusion.

 

"Uh, about four weeks ago. She came by strung out on something and asked her mother for some money." Sidney replies as he pushes his glasses up his nose. "After Kate told her no, Casey left. We haven't spoke to her since."

 

Kate glances between them with a scowl, "Where's Casey?"

 

Natasha sucks in a breath as she locks eyes with the woman and blue eyes stare back at her with worry and fear, "I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but Casey's body was discovered yesterday in an alleyway off Christopher street."

 

"Her body? She's...my baby is _dead_?" Kate whimpers as she clamps a hand over her mouth.

 

"I am so sorry, Mrs. Donaldson." Natasha whispers.

 

Sidney shakes his head as Kate's cries fill the air, the disbelief and sadness is clear in each desperate sob she releases. The man runs a hand over his face, his green eyes glaze over with tears as he moves to sit beside his distraught wife. Clint and Natasha stand in silence as they wait for the information to sink in before Natasha flashes Clint a glance and the man reaches out to give Natasha's arm a comforting squeeze.

 

"Can we see her?" Sidney murmurs as he curls his arms protectively around his wife before he looks to the detectives with a frown. "What happened to her? _How_ could this have happened to our girl?"

 

"Mr. Donaldson, it appears that your daughter was kidnapped, tortured, and killed," Clint says in a steady voice as he stares at the couple. "We believe your daughter's abduction is linked to another, and we just have a few questions about Casey."

 

"No! This can't be true!" Kate exclaims as she leaps up to rush away.

 

"I-I...can we come down to the station and discuss this?" Sidney asks as he shoots a glance over his shoulder as his tears begin to fall freely. "I need to be with my wife, and we need to...there's...we have so many arrangements to make."

 

"Of course, sir." Natasha nods as she pulls a business card from her pocket and offers it to the man who clenches his fist around the small paper. "Please call me when you're ready to come down to the station. Day or night, whatever you want."

 

Sidney stares down at the paper in his hand and turns it over for a moment, and Natasha feels her breath catch as she watches the way the life seems to bleed out of him. After a moment, he looks up at them with dull eyes and gives a nod before he leaves the tension of the living room and hurries after his wife. Clint and Natasha don't linger long, they can hear the two sobbing down the hall and the pair are quick to leave the house and move towards the car with a ball of dread that rolls between them.

 

"I hate doing that." Clint admits as he climbs into the car and runs a hand through his styled locks. "I don't care what it takes, but we're going to find this guy. He needs to pay, he can't get away with this."

 

"I couldn't agree more." Natasha scoffs.

 

"We will find him, Tasha." Clint assures her as he glances towards to his partner who seems focused only on her wedding ring. "I know that Casey was your CI's friend, but I don't understand why you feel so connected to this victim."

 

"She wasn't a victim." Natasha snaps. "She was a _kid_."

 

Clint opens his mouth to respond, searches his mind for anything comforting to say but after a moment he simply bites down on his tongue and figures it'd be better to stay silent. As the two sit in silence in front of the Donaldson house, Clint's phone chimes loudly and he reaches to fish it from his pocket. With a frown, Clint scans over the text on his screen before he hums and furrows his brow slowly.

 

"Roger says that the Phil McGee hadn't seen his daughter in weeks." Clint frowns as he types back a response to the man. "Do you think that this perp is targeting girls' who they know aren't going to be reported missing?"

 

"How could he possibly know something like that? I mean, unless he's watching them." Natasha scowls as she quickly reaches up to free her hair from her ponytail and rushes her fingers through her wavy locks.

 

"It's a possibility." Clint shrugs as he starts the car and pulls away from the lives they have just shattered. "I mean, from what we can tell, he kidnaps a new girl every month. So, it's possible he holds them for a while."

 

"Casey wasn't gone a month," Natasha points out. "She was gone for at least two weeks."

 

"Okay." Clint nods as he furrows his brow and chews his lower lip in silent thought before he looks towards his partner who scowls out the window. "Maybe we should open up a public search for the bodies?"

 

"Clint, we don't even know..." Natasha trails off as she shakes her head. "We don't know where this guy is dropping the bodies off, we don't even know if there is anymore bodies. We can't get ahead of ourselves."

 

"They found Kayleigh's body near Pilgrim Hill, and then we found Casey's body maybe five minutes away from the precinct," Clint begins as he looks to Natasha. "What if he wanted us to find Casey? What if his dump sight is at Pilgrim Hill?"

 

"Wait, you think he wants us to know about him?" Natasha frowns.

 

"Why not? I mean, you know as well as I do that serial killer do things _their_ way. We're not going to catch them until they want to be caught." Clint reminds her. "I think we should go by Kayleigh's dump sight, check things out."

 

"You're smarter than you look, Barton." Natasha teases as she reaches out to flick on the radio and the man flashes her a small smile. "Let me check in with Fury and we'll see what he says about it."

 

-

 

"This is insane." Clint breathes out.

 

Natasha can only nod as they pull up to the crime scene they have called in, the place swarms with a CSI unit and officers filter nearby. With a roll of her eyes, Natasha shoots the group of curious bystanders a glare as they stand behind the yellow string of tape. They had been pulled into the precinct not long after they talked to Fury and they were forced to sit down with Casey's family and go through everything about their daughter; it had been the worst hour and a half Natasha had lived.

 

Natasha had watched the complete defeat fall on the parents as they listened to Clint explain the certain degrees of torture their daughter had endured and she had just about throw up at the sound the mother had released when they had taken her down to see Casey's body. This was the only part of the job that Natasha hates; she loves being a hero, but she can't stand the events that lead up to it. After the interview and visit to the morgue, Fury had informed them that their hunch had been right and sent them off to the newest crime scene.

 

"I can't believe we didn't think of this before." Natasha muses as she watches each body that is slowly removed from the dirt and the redhead slowly shakes her head. "All these women. We could've stopped this."

 

"Natasha, we couldn't have know," Clint replies as he ducks his head. "The perp has been working tirelessly for the last seven months and things didn't start making sense until Casey's body was found."

 

"I've been working on this case for the last two months," Natasha reminds him as she shoots her partner a glance and sees his brow furrow in confusion. "I _knew_ these girls' were missing, I knew their bodies were out there."

 

"No, you didn't," Clint scolds. "Natasha, you couldn't have possibly known the extent of what the perp was doing. You didn't even know if this was just fluke murder, there was no reason to suspect a serial till Casey."

 

"Casey had mentioned two girls went missing," Natasha sneers and follows it with a wince as she catches sight of a body that is pulled from the dirt, her skin blue and swollen. "I should've listened to her, but instead I told her not to think about it."

 

"You didn't..."

 

"You know what I told her?" Natasha cuts in as she licks her lips angrily. "I told her that the girls' probably went home, I told her a life on the streets wasn't for teenage girls and they had probably figured that out."

 

"That isn't a lie, Natasha." Clint whispers.

 

"The lie I told her was that I couldn't do anything about it. She and my CI asked me to look into it, to just check with the families, but I told them I couldn't." Natasha mutters before a look of disgust appears on her face. "What kind of cop does that?"

 

Clint clenches his jaw as the CSI team hauls the third body from the grave before they go right back to digging, "One that knows that she can't push her badge like that. You were right, Romanoff. Don't doubt that."

 

"I've never questioned how good I am at my job," Natasha admits as she shakes her head. "I wanted so badly to follow in Steve and Tony's footsteps, to prove them that I could be just as good as them. But instead I got a kid killed, I brushed her worries off and she's dead now."

 

"Don't start doing that to yourself." Clint snaps as he turns to face Natasha subtly while he lowers his voice. "If Fury catches onto that you're carrying around this guilt, he'll pull you from the case so fast that you won't even know what's happening."

 

Natasha hesitates as she nods before the two move towards where the ME is kneeling by the bodies. For a moment, Natasha stands back and stares at the bodies of the women who had lost their lives due to the fact that she hadn't believed two teenagers. With a hard swallow, Natasha runs her thumb over the diamond of her wedding ring and thinks of her wife as she takes in a calming breath and feels her body relax. The detectives pause in front of the ME who is scribbling across his notebook before he glances up at them with a frown.

 

"Dr. Banner." Natasha greets. "How long till we can get these bodies to the morgue?"

 

"I believe there's one last body and then we'll start transporting them." The man answers as he glances up at the women. "I should be able to pull prints from these three, but I'm not sure about the last two. Too much decomposition."

 

Clint simply nods as he presses a hand to Natasha's arm, "Thank you, Bruce."

 

Natasha silently nods her thanks as she continues to stare down at the bodies; all she can see is there empty gazes that stare up at her. All she can imagine is how beautiful they must have been when they were filled with live. Lives that she allowed somebody to strip away. With a shake of her head, Natasha gives a hard swallow and finally turns to follow behind Clint. The redhead glances once more at the bodies over the door of her car as she whispers a soft apology that gets caught up in chatter of a nearby crowd.

 

Clint frowns as Natasha ducks into the car, "It's not your fault."

 

"Tell that to the seven women who are dead right now." Natasha mumbles.

 

-

 

"So, we have the bodies of Kayleigh MacGee, Jessica Tanner, Leslie Van Haren, Hannah Camden, and Casey Donaldson," Steve lists as he points towards the pictures on the board. "We're still running ID's on the two other Jane Does'."

 

"Basically this guy just dumps the body and picks up another one, right?" Clint frowns as he carefully props himself on the edge of the desk and furrows his brow. "It seems like every month he has a new girl."

 

"We're missing something." Natasha huffs as she ruffles her curls before she folds her arms over her chest. "Hopefully once we've managed to ID the other two women we'll be able to speak with the families and piece some of this together."

 

"I don't see how speaking with the families will help." Tony scoffs as he furrows his brow and leans his elbows on the desk. "I mean, we'll be able to find out when they were last seen but that's about it."

 

"And we need to confirm it follows the other timelines," Natasha explains. "Kayleigh, Jessica, Leslie, Hanna, and Casey's families all said that they'd go weeks without seeing their daughters so none of them thought to file them missing."

 

"I just don't understand something," Tony sighs as he stands and moves to stand before the board. "Besides their facial appearances, they're all different. Height wise, weight, and age. Is he just after blondes?"

 

"I think eye color might have something to do with it too." Steve adds as he softly taps his pen against the photo of Leslie. "Her, Casey, and Hannah all had green eyes and Kayleigh and Jessica had hazel."

 

"So, just green or hazel eyes?" Natasha asks.

 

Steve shrugs, "Possibly. Just an idea."

 

"It's a good one, Rogers." Natasha assures him with a small smile.

 

Natasha pinches the bridge of her nose as she moves to drop into her chair, the defeat is clear in her posture as she cups her hands over her face and releases her frustration in the form of a loud sigh. The woman allows her mind to whirl with the activities of the last few days and realizes she's seen her wife maybe a handful of times since this case broke. And as if on cue, Natasha perks up as she hears the sound of a familiar laugh and she feels her shoulders loosen in relief at the sight of her beautiful wife.

 

"Hi, you." Maria whispers as she moves towards Natasha and the older woman flashes her a tired smile in return. "I managed to get out of my meeting early so I thought I'd go ahead and bring you some dinner."

 

"You didn't have to do that." Natasha frowns as she watches her wife set the food down before she reaches out to tuck a finger in Maria's jean pocket. "How was the meeting? Are you going to be in the court room soon? I miss seeing you out there."

 

"Shut up." Maria scoffs with a roll of her eyes.

 

"What? You're sexy as hell when you're being a badass." Natasha smirks and Maria gives a snort as she rolls her eyes at the smirking redhead. "The first time I saw you in court, I literally choked."

 

"She did." Clint chuckles, he doesn't look up from his file as he shakes his head. "It was hilarious."

 

"As nice as this little meeting is," Tony cuts in as he turns from the board with his arms crossed over his chest and a look of slight amusement on his face. "We have a serial killer on the loose and we need to focus."

 

"Fine." Natasha sighs as she rolls her eyes and stands to capture her wife's lips in a kiss before she grins lazily at her. "You should probably get going, Stark might explode if we don't keep moving at a lightning pace."

 

"Okay, I can sense when I'm not wanted. Clearly you only need me when it involves court rooms." Maria teases as she presses another quick kiss to Natasha's lip before she opens her mouth to call out a goodbye only to stop short. "Is that the new case you've been working on?"

 

"Yes." Natasha replies as she reaches up to press a hand over Maria's eyes while the younger woman shifts in protest as she reaches up to drag the limb away. "You know you're not allowed to look at that, Maria. You don't _need_ to be looking at it."

 

"Natasha..." Maria whispers as she nudges her hand away.

 

With slow steps, Maria pushes away from Natasha's desk and walks towards the board. All at once, the detectives in the room shout out their protests as they attempt to steer the brunette away from the pictures. Maria doesn't bother to listen and she pulls away from the hands that grasp at her as she pauses at the board and scans her gaze over it with wide eyes, her lips part as she heaves a hard sigh and blinks in horror.

 

"Maria, you need to..."

 

"They look like you."

 

The words bring the room to a standstill as they all glance to the board and one by one take in the pictures of the blonde women, their pale skin is dull underneath the morgue lights and long lashes pillow on cheeks. Steve releases a scoff of shock as he steps to stand beside Maria and tucks his hands into the pockets of his jeans as he allows his dark eyes to roam over the snap shots before he shakes his head while Tony clenches his jaw.

 

"She's right." Steve murmurs.

 

"I'm a redhead, ladies and gentlemen. And their eye color isn't uncommon." Natasha sighs as she shakes her head and reaches to curl her fingers around Maria's wrist. "Babe, you know you can't be looking at this. You have to go."

 

"No." Maria snaps as she pulls her wrist free of Natasha's grasp before she whirls to face her, her blue orbs bright with anger. "Why didn't tell me that you matched the victims? Why would you keep that from me?"

 

"I didn't realize it." Natasha replies as she shifts her gaze and notices the way Clint stands aside with a look of worry on his face. "Maria, we really can't talk about this here. Or at all. You need to go home, okay?"

 

"Look at this one, Natasha. Look at her." Maria orders as she stabs a finger towards one of the women before she turns to catch her wife's gaze. "Look at her nose, it slopes the same way yours does."

 

"My nose isn't special." Natasha frowns.

 

"She has a freckle just like you do, in the same spot." Maria cuts in as she gestures to another woman before her gaze slides to the third victim. "Look at the style of her hair, Natasha! You may not be a blonde anymore, but that is your exact style."

 

"Maria," Natasha begs. "Stop."

 

"She has a scar under her ear, Natasha! Just like yours!" Maria exclaims as she gestures to the second woman before she moves to the fourth. "She has the same lip shape as you, and they're just as full as yours are."

 

"Maria, that's _enough_." Natasha sighs as she chances a glance towards her partner who seems to be taking everything in. "I can't help that these girls' look like me, it's not like this was planned. It just happened."

 

"You don't know that!" Maria snaps as she whirls to face her wife. "Look at them, Natasha! They all...look at their eyes! They're just as beautiful as yours are so tell me how the hell this isn't planned. Tell me that this is just a coincidence."

 

"Maria, you need to go." Natasha orders.

 

The couple meets each other's gaze and Maria shakes her head as she folds her arms over her chest in silent anger. Natasha wants nothing more than to take her wife in her arms and assure her that it was okay, that it was all going to be fine, but she knows Maria won't accept any type of comfort from her. With a sigh, Natasha rubs at her temples as she feels her headache begin to pulse at her forehead before she squeezes her eyes shut and listens to Maria grunt in frustration as she takes a step back.

 

"I can't believe you'd hide something like this from me."

 

Natasha opens her eyes just in time to watch as Maria storms from the bullpen. The redhead clenches her jaw as she licks her lips and turns to see her team staring at the board while Clint shifts beside them and chews at his lower lip. She can see the wheels turning into their heads, she can see that they're starting to see what she already knew. Natasha knows she fits the victimology, she knew it from the beginning, and now her team does and she knows there's no escaping it.

 

"Romanoff, they really do look like you." Tony mutters as he folds his arms over his chest and flexes his jaw for a moment. "I mean, they have the same skin tone and same facial structure. You're going to need to be more careful."

 

"Tony, do not start on this with me." Natasha pleads as she storms towards her desk and plops into her chair with a grumble of frustration. "So I resemble them? Okay. That's fine. This isn't the first time I've matched a victim."

 

"Romanoff, we're not taking any risks." Fury snaps as he exits his office with a scowl on his face as he crosses his arms over his chest. "All I'm asking is that you be safe, don't go anywhere on your own while working this case."

 

"But..."

 

"It's not like you're going anywhere without me anyway." Clint points out as he moves to stand beside Natasha's desk before he flashes her a smile. "Come on, lets go get something to eat. We can go to that sushi place you like."

 

Natasha glances at the meal Maria left her before she stands, "Good idea."

 

-

 

Natasha smothers a yawn as she rushes a hand through her hair and tosses her keys in the doorside bowl. Her eyes feel heavy as she sheds her leather jacket before she flings it lazily on a hook and wonders into her silent house. The living room lights shine through the foyer and Natasha pulls off her boots before she follows the glow. The woman pauses a few feet away from the couch as she catches sight of Maria, the brunette sits with her legs folded under her weight as she sips at a glass of wine.

 

"You're home earlier than I thought you'd be." Maria notes as she glances over the back of the couch and arches an eyebrow. "I figured I'd be getting a text from you in an hour or so letting me know that you'd be working late."

 

"Clint and I finished up with the last families earlier than we thought." Natasha replies in a soft voice as she moves to drop onto the couch before she rolls her head to look at her wife. "Are you going to talk to me?"

 

"About?"

 

"Maria, we promised we'd never let things go unsaid between us." Natasha reminds her as she reaches out to brush a hand along Maria's bare thigh. "Come on, baby. Just talk to me. We can't just pretend that you're not upset."

 

"Why didn't you tell me?" Maria demands after a beat of silence, her blue eyes cut towards Natasha as they slowly narrow. "You've been working this case for a while, and you're telling me that you never noticed the resemblance?"

 

Natasha hesitates before she shakes her head, "I noticed."

 

"Natasha, do you realize how dangerous this case is?" Maria snaps as she leans forward to set her wine glass on the coffee table. "I know this is your job, but I deserve to know when my wife looks like the bodies lying in the morgue."

 

"I didn't want to worry you," Natasha begins before she rolls her eyes as Maria releases a loud snort and folds her arms over her chest. "I just figured you didn't need to know about it, okay? It doesn't mean anything."

 

"But it does," Maria whispers as she lifts her head, and Natasha freezes as she sees the shine of tears in blue orbs. "I can handle you doing undercover work, I can handle the fact that you carry a gun, and I can handle your long hours...but I can't handle losing you."

 

"Maria," Natasha chuckles. "I'm not going anywhere."

 

"You don't know that. And you can't sit there and tell me that you go into work every day confident that you're going to come home to me." Maria hisses. "Aunt Angie was right, your job is dangerous and it does worry me."

 

"Angie also likes to say that the sky is green," Natasha deadpans as she pulls her lower lip into her mouth for a moment. "Angie doesn't know me the way you do, Maria. You know how careful I am, you know that my goal is to come home to you every day."

 

"It just terrifies me sometimes, Nat." Maria confesses as she tugs at Natasha's hands till the older woman gets the hint and straddles her waist. "The fact that you look like them...I wanted to carry you out of the police station."

 

"As much as I'd enjoy that, I don't think Fury would." Natasha teases as she ducks her head to knock her nose against Maria's while she smiles softly. "I promise that I'll be careful, Maria. I promise it's going to be okay."

 

"If I lose you, I will lose my mind." Maria warns as she curls her fingers around the soft material of Natasha's button up before she gives a soft smile. "I love you so much, Natasha. I don't like feeling like this, so out of control."

 

Natasha is silent as she ducks her head to capture Maria's lips with her own, and the younger woman moans into the kiss as her eyes flutter shut and her back arches off the couch. Eager hands pluck at the buttons of Natasha's shirt before red lace is reveled and the shirt is tossed aside in favor of lips covering where flannel once was. Natasha moans as her head tilts back while Maria works to cover pale skin in bruises, she wants Natasha to carry her mark with her so she knows what she'll be coming home to every day.

 

"I love you." Natasha whispers as she drops her forehead to rest against Maria's while her wife stares at her with nothing but adoration in her gaze. "I love you and I'm not going anywhere anytime soon. I swear."

 

Maria stands and Natasha wraps her legs around her waist, "Let's go seal that promise."

 

-

 

Days slowly bleed together as the case continues to throw them through loops they don't even want or need to jump through. They've come to a standstill, the evidence has slowly dwindled down to nothing that leads them to their killer. The only thing they know is that every single woman had suffered slow, painful deaths. The information causes Natasha's stomach to turn every time she thinks about the seven women.

 

"It's late." Fury notes as he moves to stand in front of his detective's desk, his arms fold over his chest as he looks down at her. "I know you're into this case, but you need to go home. You have a wife waiting for you."

 

"I know." Natasha sighs as she flicks through another page in the file, her eyes never leave the words written by the ME. "I just wanted to go over the cause of death one more time, I'm trying to make sense of it."

 

"Romanoff, what sense can you make from asphyxiation?" Fury demands as he reaches out to flip the file shut, his dark eyes burn into Natasha's. "They were tortured, sexually assaulted, and suffocated..."

 

"I know!" Natasha snaps.

 

"Then why are you reading the report?" Fury questions, the edge of his voice causes a look of defeat to appear on her face as she ducks her head. "You know all of this so why are you torturing yourself by going through it again?"

 

Natasha frowns before she shakes her head, "It's my fault."

 

"I've heard you mention that a few times. Not that it makes any sense." Fury shrugs as a slow scowl appears back on his face. "You couldn't have possibly stopped these murders from happening, Romanoff."

 

"I came to you after Kayleigh's body was found, I _knew_ something was wrong," Natasha reminds him as she stares up at her boss. "I had a gut feeling and I didn't go with it. I just let it go, I ignored my gut."

 

"How could you have possibly known that there was more to that kid's death?" Fury demands as he furrows his brow. "You are a detective, a _new_ detective, you're still learning. You can't beat yourself up every time you miss something."

 

"I became a detective so people would _stop_ missing things," Natasha replies. "I wanted to do this job because I saw how big of a difference it could made make I wanted to do that too, I wanted to give people a voice."

 

"Romanoff, do you realize how many cases you and Barton have solved?" Fury asked after a moment of silence, bright eyes lift to glance at him in silent question. "Since the two of you were partnered together, the two of you have solved over eleven cases."

 

"That's not a lot." Natasha scoffs.

 

"Two of those cases had been cold for months. And another for three years." Fury reminds her as a rare, small smile appears on his face. "The two of you are brilliant together, that's why I wanted you on my team. Where's Barton now?"

 

"Home."

 

"Then that's where you should be too," Fury smirks, and Natasha huffs a breath as she rolls her eyes in annoyance. "I'm serious, Romanoff. You two are two separate halves of a brain, when you come together you manage to figure everything out."

 

"I can do this without him." Natasha protests as she reluctantly leaves the comfort of her chair and grabs her jacket before she stuffs her arms into the leather material. "I don't always need him to get cases done."

 

"You sound just like Stark when he started." Fury chuckles as he trails Natasha from the room. "I'll tell you what I told him: respect your partner, stand by them and be loyal. They are the ones who have your back through everything."

 

Natasha hesitates as she glances at her boss who shoots her a wink before the two part ways as they leave the quiet precinct. The woman moves towards her car and types out a quick messages to Maria to let her know she's on her way home. The car ride is silent, and the woman stares out at the night sky of her beloved city as she once again rolls the case through her head like so many times before; she can't stop thinking about it.

 

She can't help but bury herself in the case, she knows this one is different. She can feel it. This one feels personal. Natasha can't put her finger on it, but she knows that this case is something she can't just put aside, there's something about this one that she knows will break her if she doesn't solve it. Natasha turns slowly into the driveway and quietly makes her way into her warm home and leans back against the door with a soft sigh. She kicks off her shoes and patters down the hallway to the bedroom and pauses at the doorway to stare at her sleeping wife.

 

"You're so beautiful." Natasha whispers.

 

The detective goes about her normal routine of showering and moisturizing before she changes into a pair of boyshorts and long t-shirt before she slides into bed beside Maria. As she settles back against her pillow, she feels an arm around her waist and she hums happily as she scoots back to mold herself into Maria as she gives a sleepy yawn. Natasha waits patiently for the hours of the day to fall upon her and she feels her eyes growing heavy before she finally gives way and prepares herself for the constant nightmare of green eyes.

 

-

 

"I can't believe you're actually willingly eating a donut." Clint mumbles as he swallows a bite of his glazed donut while Natasha picks at her own donut. "Twenty bucks Maria makes you go for a run this weekend. We've been living off the vending machine all weeks, she must hate it."

 

"It's just a donut. It's not that bad." Natasha mumbles as she takes a small bite of the pastry before she sets it aside and instead reaches for her coffee. "Maria has us on a diet right now anyway, some health cleanse."

 

"I'll try to keep your splurges a secret." Clint teases as he drops his half eaten donut back in the bag before he runs his gaze over Natasha. "I'm not sure why you're dieting though, you're in amazing shape."

 

"Are you hitting on me?" Natasha smirks.

 

"What? No!" Clint protests as his cheeks glow a bright pink before he clears his throat and tightens his grasp on the steering wheel. "So, um what's the plan for today? Are we doing anything more with the case?"

 

"I'm not sure." Natasha mutters as she sips at her coffee and turns her gaze to stare out at the passing people on the sidewalk. "There's nothing more we can do. I'm afraid this case is going to go cold if we don't find another lead."

 

"It'd help if this guy would've left some type of DNA behind. But what are the chances of that happening?" Clint scoffs as she stops behind a truck and tosses a glance at Natasha. "How much longer do you think Fury will give us?"

 

"It's been a month already, I'm going to..." Natasha trails off as her phone chimes. "Romanoff."

 

Clint groans in irritation as a taxi pulls in front of him and the man can't help but slam a hand down on the horn only to be met with a middle finger from the taxi driver. The man clenches his jaw as he tries to keep his anger at bay before he licks his lips and throws a quick look to Natasha who is staring out the window with wide eyes. After a moment, Natasha snaps back at the person on the opposite line before she quickly ends the call.

 

"Tasha..."

 

"They found another body." Natasha snarls as she clenches her phone in her fist before she glances towards her partner with cheeks that darken in anger. "They already ID'd her. Marissa Sutton. She was nineteen."

 

"Another prostitute?" Clint asks.

 

Natasha nods slowly, "Yeah."

 

"How is this happening?" Clint snarls as he slams his hand on the steering wheel and shoots his partner a look of slight desperation. "I don't know what's going on, Natasha. How is this happening right under our nose?"

 

" _Nineteen_ , Clint. Just like Casey." Natasha murmurs.

 

"Natasha, open up," Clint orders. "Stop shutting me out."

 

"Tony said it was the same MO, same looks, PMI is just over a day," Natasha lists, but her voice sounds a million miles away as she rubs at her brow. "They found her body in the same place the perp dumped Casey's."

 

"You think after all the press that's been covering this that he'd lay low." Clint scoffs with a look of disgust as he throws a glance in the mirror before he switches lanes. "But I guess even this jerk is stupid enough to think he can get away with it."

 

"Jerk?" Natasha repeats. "Not douche bag?"

 

"I'm trying to clean my language up a little." Clint shrugs as he flashes a smile towards Natasha who arches an eyebrow in question. "I figured that I should watch my mouth before your mini me gets here."

 

"You've got a while before that happens." Natasha assures her as a look of slight defeat appears on her face. "Maria and I decided to wait to start the process. She wants me to finish this case so I can give her all my attention."

 

"I'm sorry, Natasha." Clint frowns and when he sees the wall go up in Natasha's gaze he instead focuses on pulling up to a parking spot as he looks at the crowd. "Don't these people have something better to do?"

 

"Better than looking at some poor dead girl's body? Of course not." Natasha grumbles as they stop beside Fury's car and climb from the Lexus before they wonder towards their boss. "Who found the body?"

 

"Jogger." Fury answers as he gestures to a nearby man.

 

Natasha sucks in a breath as she glances to where Steve and Tony are talking to a group of police officers and she can make out her partner moving towards the body. The redhead inwardly curses as she smooths a hand over her shirt and turns to where a man waits with a jacket wrapped tight around his form as he shivers from the cool morning air. Natasha wonders closer to the jogger and allows her dark eyes to take in his handsome face while she watches his eyes bounce everywhere.

 

"Detective Romanoff." Natasha introduces as she offers her hand to the man.

 

"Jack Walsh."

 

"Do you always run through this area, Mr. Walsh?" Natasha questions as she pulls her hand away from the man. "Do you live somewhere nearby?"

 

"Actually, I live just up the road," Jack replies as he juts a thumb over his shoulder. "I always take this route down to a little cafe that my wife loves, I usually pick up a couple of bagels and muffins for our kids."

 

"And you decided to just take a random pit stop in the alleyway?" Natasha demands, her voice slowly trails off in a silent question and she watches as his eyebrow jumps up at her tone. "So, what were you doing in the alleyway?"

 

"I was tossing out my water bottle. Not big on littering, y'know?" The man replies with a small smile that disappears as he shakes his head. "I'm glad I went back there. I mean, who knows how long that poor girl would've been back there."

 

"Yeah. Good point." Natasha nods as she pulls a card free from her pocket before she offers it to the man who takes it with a grin before her green eyes take in his features once more. "Thank you for making the call, Mr. Walsh."

 

"No problem." Jack sighs with a small nod. "Sorry I didn't see anything."

 

"It's alright, you did enough." Natasha assures him as a small smile appears on her face while she watches him glance from the card to her face. "If we think of anymore questions, we'll have somebody contact you."

 

"Alright."

 

The woman watches as he turns to walk away and her gaze follows him as he flips his hood up before he vanishes into the crowd. With a soft sigh, Natasha sweeps a hand through her fiery locks before she turns to move towards Clint and her team. She wishes she was back in bed with her wife, she wishes she could start this day over and go back to when she and Maria were having a pillow fight followed closely by a fruit food fight that ended with her eating strawberries off Maria's body.

 

"He came over to throw away his water bottle." Natasha mutters as her eyes run slowly over the beaten and destroyed form of the woman. "I gave him my card just in case he decides he remembers anything important."

 

Clint looks at her and arches an eyebrow, "You have that look on your face..."

 

"He wasn't very helpful, I was just hoping he might have saw something." Natasha shrugs as she draws her lower lip into her mouth and scans the body of the teenager over. "We should probably run his name."

 

"We can do that." Clint nods before he turns his gaze away as the ME carefully zips Marissa's body into a black bag before the he shakes his head. "God, the poor girl was killed not even twenty four hours ago."

 

Natasha simply flicks her tongue out to lick angrily at her lips before she turns to head back towards her car, and Clint rushes to catch up with her as the pair fall into a silent debate as they run through their new evidence. The precinct seems much too quiet to them as they wonder into their second home, both sling their jackets onto their respective desks as they collapse into their chairs and spin to face the board.

 

They were back again at square one again the detectives are all roaring to put this case behind them. They want it to be over, they're all sick of feeling like they're playing a losing game with some guy. They have pulled together a profile of the man, they have torn apart his crime scenes, they have gone over the bodies over and over, and they have spent countless hours pouring over files that lead them nowhere at all.

 

Even with a fresh body they still feel as if they're stuck in reverse. The hours flash by faster than Natasha can process as she and Clint strip the board and start from the beginning. It takes them all of three hours to start from the first victim and end with Marissa. Eight women in eight months have lost their lives and Natasha is done allowing it to happen. She's determined to find this guy, and she's determined to get back to living the life she had before this whole thing had even started.

 

Natasha is missing out on starting a family, and she's missing out on spending time with her wife. As she scribbles down on a file, she silently vows that once this case is done and put away, she's going to have a kid with Maria and she's going to live the life she knows she's meant to live. Natasha sighs and throws a glance at the clock as she feels her eyes weighing themselves down with exhaustion, her temples throb with the information she has gone over all day and the tiny words she has read on familiar files.

 

"I don't think we're going to be putting anymore pieces together tonight," Natasha sighs as she glances at the clock on the wall before she looks to her partner. "I think I'm going to go ahead and head home."

 

"Now?" Clint scowls.

 

"Yeah, I miss Maria." Natasha admits as she flashes a small smile and stands from her chair while Tony flashes her a look of mild annoyance. "Don't stay too late, okay? If you find anything, call me. Doesn't matter what time."

 

"You'll be the first person I tell if I find something." Clint assures her with a firm nod as he moves to grab Natasha's jacket before he holds it open for the woman. "Tell Maria I said hi, give her a kiss for me."

 

"I'll give her a kiss from _me_." Natasha replies as she steps into her jacket.

 

Clint laughs softly as Natasha flips her hair from her collar before she waves to her team and leaves the comfort of the precinct. Natasha puffs out a small breath as she pulls her phone from her pocket and clicks in her password before she finds Maria's name and waits patiently for her wife to answer. The familiar sound of Maria's voicemail causes her to pout as she listens to her wife's chipper voice inform her that she isn't able to get to her phone and that she'll call you back as soon as possible.

 

"Hey, baby," Natasha whispers as she steps into the dark parking lot. "I'm on my way home, I just wanted to let you know. I hope you're awake, I miss you and I could seriously go for a glass of wine and a movie. Alright, I'll seen you soon. I love you."

 

Natasha hums under her breath as she looks into the purse on her shoulder and digs for her keys before she unlocks the car and tosses her purse inside. Just as she is about to slide into her seat, she feels something smooth glide into her neck and her body tenses on instinct. Natasha can feel her body going weak and she whirls around to face the person with a raised fist only for a large hand to catch her wrist. Her cell phone slides from her limp hand and the device clatters at her feet and Natasha can't find the strength to express her anger as she watches a foot move forward to stomp at the screen.

 

"Let...me go..." Natasha hisses.

 

Her words slur together and the sound doesn't seem to phase the person as her eyes flutter shut and her body goes slack. She can feel protective arms that curl around her body and the person easily scoops her into a bridal hold before she feels her head lull back and finally gives into the darkness that surrounds her.

 

-

 

"Boss," Tony frowns as he glances away from the board and crosses his arms over his chest with a scowl. "Look, I don't want to start anything, but should we be concerned by the fact that all these victims look so much like Natasha?"

 

"We've warned her to be careful, there's not much more we can do." Fury replies as he clicks his pen and continues to pace throughout the room. "Of course there's a concern, but she can take care of herself."

 

"It's a little worrisome, to be honest." Clint shrugs as he leans back in his chair. "I mean, obviously she's fit a victimology before, but never like this. Look at Jessica Tanner, she could literally pass as Natasha's double if she was blonde."

 

"I realize how alike she looks to the victims." Fury assures them with a heavy sigh as he pauses in his walk to look between his detectives. "All we can do is keep an eye on her and make sure she doesn't go anywhere alone."

 

"Maybe you should take her off the case." Steve offers. "For her safety."

 

"There's no way Natasha will ever let that happen." Clint snorts with a roll of his eyes. "She's been after this guy for months and she's not going to let anyone but herself be the one to watch him have his downfall."

 

"She's gotten a little crazy about it, don't you think?" Steve sighs.

 

"What are you implying?" Clint demands as he straightens in his seat. "All she's doing is her job, something wrong with that? She's invested and she's doing everything she can to catch this guy. Wish I could say the same for you."

 

"How about you take a second to climb off Nat's lap and stop being her damn guard dog. She doesn't need you looking out for her, she has a wife for that." Tony scoffs as he slams his file shut. "You're just her partner, Maria put the ring on her finger."

 

Clint hesitates as he gives a hard swallow, "What is your problem?"

 

"That's enough!" Fury hisses as his deep voice cuts through their argument. "We've been working on this case for a while and tensions are running high, I'm not about to let two of my detectives argue about something so ridiculous."

 

"It's not my fault he's being a..."

 

"Barton, that's enough." Fury frowns as he throws a sharp glare to the man who huffs and settles back in his chair while his gaze narrows Tony's way. "Do you have an issue with Romanoff that I'm not aware of?"

 

"There was the time that she stole my ice cream when we were eight, but other than that no." Tony replies.

 

"She's a good detective," Fury reminds him as he softens his tone. "She's good at her job and she'd pull herself from the case before she ever let her emotions cloud it. She knows what she's doing. She's a part of our team, you need to have faith in her."

 

"I do." Tony assures him.

 

"Good. Then this argument is over." Fury orders as he looks between the two who share a small glance before both give in and subtly nod their heads. "We need to focus and pull ourselves back together."

 

"I'm going to step out and grab some coffee," Clint sighs as he stands from her chair and brushes a hand over his face and looks to the rest of the team. "Everybody up for their usual orders?"

 

"Sounds good." Tony nods.

 

"Alright. I'll grab one for Natasha just in case she ends up coming back in." Clint whispers as he grabs his jacket from the back of the chair before he smirks at Tony. "Let's hope I choose not to do something to your coffee, Stark."

 

"Yeah, yeah." Tony mumbles.

 


	5. And No Wise Words Are Gonna Stop The Bleeding

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part 2 of 'They Say Bad Things Happen For A Reason' :)

Natasha moans softly as she lifts her head before it falls again a moment later, the woman struggles to right herself as she feels the heavy throb against her temples; her body feels as if it's floating. It takes Natasha a moment to pull herself completely from the fog and her body radiates with something she can't quite describe as she feels her body slowly freeing itself from the tightness of whatever she was slipped.

 

As the confusion fades, the pain sets in and Natasha quickly straightens herself as she glances into the darkness of the room. The woman jerks her hands and frowns as she glances over her shoulder to see her hands handcuffed behind her back. She gives a huff of frustration as she looks around the silent room and attempts to see through the darkness, but her eyes can't seem to adjust so she settles on tugging at her restraints.

 

"That probably won't do much for you."

 

Like a cliche horror movie, a light flicks on and Natasha sucks in a breath as she looks to where a man stands with his hand on a lamp switch. Her heart skips a beat as the fear tightens in her stomach but she tries to keep her features neutral as she arches an eyebrow and squirms once more in her chair. The man laughs giddily at the sight as he moves her way with an air of excitement that swells around his form.

 

"What do you want?" Natasha slurs.

 

"I think we already know the answer to that, Detective Romanoff," The man chuckles as he scans her over and his eyes linger for a moment on her full lips. "Come on, don't you remember me? We met this morning!"

 

Natasha furrows her brow and shakes her head, "I..."

 

"It's okay. I'll refresh your memory. I'm Jack." The man chirps as he presses a hand to his chest before he releases a breath of happiness. "You are going to be so much fun to play with, Detective Romanoff. I really can't wait to get started."

 

Natasha swallows hard around the lump that appears in her throat as the man inches forward and she leans as far back in her chair as she can to avoid his touch. Just as his hand brushes over her cheek, his phone chimes loudly from the table and he gives a pout before he drops his hand and turns to trot towards the nearby table. All at once, the relief floods Natasha's veins as she blows out a sharp breath and ducks her head.

 

"Hm, that's too bad. I have to run." Jack whines as he taps his thumbs along the screen before he hesitates and glances over his shoulder, a small smirk slowly slides over his face. "Wait for me here, huh?"

 

Natasha is silent as she clamps her teeth down on her lower lip and watches as the man hurries to clean something up on the table before he pockets his phone and gives her one last charming smile. After a moment, the man moves towards her and leans down to press a gentle kiss to her forehead and Natasha tenses as she tries to turn her head away. Jack pulls away after a moment and moves to flip off the lamp and Natasha can only hear the sound of his whistles as they slowly disappear before metal clangs loudly and she's left alone.

 

-

 

Maria paces outside the precinct as she stares up at the building, her lower lip is trapped between her rows of teeth as she tries to work out the thoughts that swirl in her head. All she can hear is Natasha's voicemail, all she can do is replay it over in her head. She knew her wife worked insane hours and the case she is currently working on has her more involved than ever, but Maria knows that her wife would never call and give her false hope without at least following it up with a text message.

 

Maria finally sucks in a breath and turns to hurry up the steps of the building as she presses herself against the door and glances around the lazy movements of officers. Her feet carry her down a familiar hallway and she makes a short walk to the bullpen where she can make out the sight of Steve, Tony, and Clint as they pour over a file. Maria steps into the room and flashes her wife's empty desk a glance and allows her eyes to linger on the back of a picture frame she knows holds her and Natasha's wedding picture.

 

"Maria?" Steve frowns. "What are you doing here?"

 

"Steve," Maria breathes out, and she ignores the three other curious gazes as she hurries towards the man. "Steve, where is Natasha? She called me two hours ago and said she was on her way home."

 

"What?" Clint demands as he drops his file.

 

"Natasha called me." Maria repeats and the frustration is clear in her tone as she looks to the man with a scowl. "We have an agreement that she'll always call when she's leaving work and that was two hours ago. I thought maybe she was here."

 

"You're probably just being paranoid." Tony sighs as he gives a roll of his eyes and moves to pick up his phone while his fingers type in a familiar number. "She probably stopped by to see Pepper for a drink."

 

"She would've told me." Maria snaps as she sends a sharp glare to the man.

 

Tony huffs in mild amusement as he listens to the rings on the other end of the line before he hears the musical voice of his wife, "Hey, babe. You wouldn't happen to have a drunk redhead over there with you, would you?"

 

Maria watches watches as Tony's eyebrows furrow before he scowls in concern and mutters his thanks and a soft departure. The phone clicks back into the hook and Tony rubs tiredly at his brow before he scoops the phone back up and types in another number. Maria chews at her lower lip as she continues to stare at Tony as she waits with a sharp breath, the man releases a grunt as he clicks the phone before he hits redial.

 

"What the hell?" Tony mutters.

 

"You're getting her voicemail?" Maria guesses. "I've been getting it for hours!"

 

"Yeah, I don't know what's going on." Tony mumbles as he glances to the worried woman and forces a look of calmness. "Look, the protocol is to wait forty eight hours before filing a missing person's report, not that you're going to need one."

 

"Stark, we're not waiting forty eight hours." Clint barks as he lowers his voice dangerously and narrows his eyes. "There's something wrong, this isn't like Natasha. Go see if her car is still in the lot."

 

"Okay, we'll go look." Steve assures them as he steps around his desk and rests a comforting hand on Maria's shoulder before he locks their gazes. "Everything is going to be fine. We'll go check the parking lot."

 

Maria drops down in the closets seat as she watches Tony and Steve grab their guns before they vanish from the room, and Clint hesitates as he watches Maria rub at her eyes. The man considers following behind the other men, but he can feel Fury's gaze on him and he looks to his boss and watches as he nods towards the water cooler in the corner. Clint flexes his jaw as he moves to grab a cup before he walks towards Maria and offers her the cup.

 

"Are you okay?" Clint asks in a soft voice, and he flinches as Maria slowly accepts the cup with hands that shake as her haunted blue eyes glance up. "She's alright, Maria. It's Natasha. She probably went shopping or something."

 

"I wish that was true." Maria scoffs as she glances down at her water and swallows hard around the lump in her throat. "When we started getting serious, she made a promise that she'd always call. Always. She wouldn't break her promise to me."

 

The sound of heavy footfalls draws Maria's attention to the doorway where Steve and Tony appear and Maria can feel the cup in her hand tremble before it falls from her grasp and spills across the tiles of the bullpen. Her knees shake and knock together as she stands from the chair and all it takes is for Tony to reveal a shattered cell phone and the air around her disappears. A loud, desperate cry fills the air as Maria clamps a hand over her mouth to smother her sobs.

 

-

 

Natasha gasps as a cool burst of water washes over her, the redhead sputters out a cough as she turns her head away from the cold. For a moment, the prickles of the water cling to her skin and the woman clenches her jaw as she tries to push the pain away. After a moment, Natasha manages to blink the water from her eyes as she shakes her head to clear her fiery locks from her face.

 

"Are we awake?" Jack drawls.

 

"I don't think you expected me to sleep through that." Natasha snaps as she turns her head to press her mouth into her shoulder before she releases a hard cough. "Not the best thing to wake up to."

 

"Sorry I had to leave you earlier, something came up," Jack sighs as he tilts his head and observes the woman. "Turns out that just because I have a house guest that doesn't mean I can miss out on work."

 

Natasha shivers slightly as the coldness of the water seeps into her clothes and runs across her skin. The bucket clangs against the ground and Natasha sits up straight in her chair at the noise and tenses before the light brightens the area. Her head turns away from the light for moment before she glances to watch as green eyes sweep over her before the man moves forward to sweep a strand of hair from her bright eyes.

 

"What do you want?" Natasha demands.

 

"I thought we discussed this," Jack scoffs as he releases a dramatic sigh that he follows with a sharp roll of his eyes. "I obviously want _you_. I've gone through so much trouble to get you here, y'know?"

 

"You didn't have to drug me." Natasha snaps.

 

"You know," Jack begins as he leans forward slightly and runs his gaze over her face before his fingers brush over her face once more. "I've been thinking about this for a while. Watching you. Waiting for the perfect moment."

 

Natasha scrunches her nose in disgust as she quickly jerks away from his touch only to be rewarded with a crack across the face. The pain radiates through her face and the woman gasps at the impact as her head slings to the side and the taste of copper fills her mouth. For a moment, the detective keeps her face hidden from the man in front of her, she can't let him see the anger that fill her eyes as she tries to ignore the way her cheek glows with the ache of the slap.

 

"Don't pull away from me again, Natasha." Jack hisses as he presses a finger to her chin and turns her head back to him before he runs his thumb over her lip to clear the blood away. "Now, would you like to see something?"

 

Jack doesn't care to wait for Natasha's answer as he smooths her hair from her face and moves towards the wall to flick on yet another lamp that casts a glow on a spread of pictures. For a moment, Natasha is confused by the sight but her eyes widen as she takes a moment to soak in what she sees. Every minute of torture he has put each woman through is detailed in an organized spread and their names are scribble against the bottoms of the Polaroids along with the dates of each moment.

 

Her gaze continues to flutter over the spread before she zeroes in on a clump that showcases her. There are pictures of her with Clint, pictures of her days off with Steve and Tony, pictures of her leaving work, pictures of her drinking with Sharon and Pepper, and finally a spread of photos of her with Maria. The woman feels a burn of anger roll through her veins as she clenches her fists and arches off the chair, she longs to cross the room and tear down any pictures with her wife in it.

 

She watches as he takes his time admiring each snapshot, his hands glide over each glossy frame as he a small smile slides across his face. He pauses on his display of photos with Natasha and she cringes as he watches him brighten as he runs a hand over a picture of her smiling. A ball of disgust settles low in Natasha's stomach as the man stands in silence, each minute ticks by as he leans forward to stare at a certain picture before his smile widens and he quickly turns to face Natasha.

 

"Do you remember this day?" Jack asks in a bright tone as his finger reaches up to tap against Natasha's frown as she walks out of a grocery store. "This was January 28th. The first day I saw you. I remember that day perfectly, you looked so beautiful. You had blonde hair then."

 

"January 28th?" Natasha repeats. "That was a year ago. Have you been stalking me?"

 

" _Stalking_ is such a harsh word." Jack pouts as he shakes his head and turns back to the photo as he tilts his head and allows his lips to turn into a smile of adoration. "I prefer to call it _admiring_. I like to admire you."

 

"You've been stalking me for a year?" Natasha repeats.

 

"What did I just tell you? I said it was admiring." Jack snarls as he yanks another picture from the wall and his eyes flash as he glares down at the shot. "I didn't realize you were married until February 9th."

 

The man turns to show Natasha the snap of an image of her and Maria as they walk through the busy city, and Natasha slowly takes in the photo of her and Maria as they wonder down the sidewalk with their fingers intertwined while the brunette points at a nearby store. Natasha scowls as she thinks back to the day, it was the day she was forced into buying Maria an entirely new furniture set for their living room; it was a good day, a good memory, and Jack has it pinned on his wall.

 

"You could do so much better." Jack muses as he pushes a tack angrily into the picture before he huffs and glances to Natasha. "I could better for you, you know? What do you think about that, Detective?"

 

"I think I'd prefer to say with my wife." Natasha replies.

 

Jack growls as he slams a hand down on his table before he crosses the room and reaches out to fist her fiery locks between his fingers before he pulls her head back hard enough to expose her throat. A flash of something flickers over Natasha's face as she winces and squeezes her eyes shut while Jack's gaze tracks the hard swallow she gives before he leans down to brush his lips over the shell of her ear.

 

"I could take care of her for you," Jack hisses and the man smiles as he feels Natasha's body shiver against the touch of his lips. "All I have to do is sneak into that perfect little house of yours and snap her neck."

 

"Stay away from her." Natasha growls.

 

"Mm, I'd think I'd rather take my time with her. Breaking her neck would be too easy." Jack notes, his voice rises as Natasha gives a frustrated huff. "I'd draw it out, make her yell for you. Make her _beg_ for you to save her."

 

The breath of frustration Natasha releases echoes off the walls as she once again arches in her chair while angry tears build in her eyes. The hand in her hair jerks her forward and she tears her eyes open to stare into his cold gaze while a smirk crosses his lips. All she can hear is her wife's voice in her head. She can hear Maria's calm tone, the way she whispers her name when Natasha is upset, the way her name tears through Maria's lips during their times in bed, and the way she calls for Natasha when she's pissed.

 

It's all she can hear over the sound of the blood that rushes through her head, and her lashes blink hard to clear away her tears as she squirms on her chair in an attempt to free herself. She wants to hurt him for all the pain he has caused in the last eight months; everything she has been working towards is standing before her and she's defenseless. All the bodies of the women flash behind her eyes as she pictures them lying on the morgue table while their broken families identify them.

 

"If you touch her, I will kill you." Natasha snarls as she struggles against the hand in her hair and tugs at the metal around her wrists till they burn and ache. "I swear if you go near her, I'll will come after you and _kill_ you."

 

Jack uncurls his fingers from Natasha's hair and instead digs his fists into her chest until she releases a breath of pain, "You won't do a thing. If you haven't noticed, you're a little tied up right now."

 

He shoves forward once more to add just a little more pressure and it draws a cough from her before he finally pulls away, his dark eyes swirl with anger as he turns to stalk towards his wall of glory. Jack folds his hands behind his back as he stares at the photos while Natasha watches him and tries to ignore the pain in her chest. With a soft hum, Jack throws a small smirk over his shoulder before he steps towards the wall and he wiggles his fingers over the multiple pictures before he zeroes in on one.

 

"This is Leslie." Jack grins as he pulls a picture from the wall and stares at it for a moment before he turns it towards Natasha. "You found her, didn't you? She was my first. I had a lot of fun playing with her."

 

Natasha grits her teeth and turns her head away, "Why?"

 

"Leslie liked to scream. It was nice." Jack sighs as he returns the picture to its spot before he yanks another one free. "This one is Kayleigh, you found her body first. She was a difficult little bitch, she liked to bite."

 

"Good girl." Natasha mutters.

 

"Hannah here," Jack begins as he quickly plucks another photo before he allows Natasha to take in her scared dark eyes. "She liked to cry. She cried really hard when I pinned her to the ground, a belt wrapped around her throat..."

 

Natasha sucks in a breath as his words continue and she swallows down the bile that itches at the back of her throat as he continues to tell her what he did to her. His voice rises with each moment that passes as his eyes glow with excitement and a childlike thrill; it makes her sick. After a moment, Jack finishes and keeps a close eye on her before he hums happily and turns to tack Hanna's picture back to the wall.

 

"This one looks just like you from the side," Jack beams as he presses a shaking hand to the woman in the picture while his smile dims slowly. "She wasn't very fun. Her eyes are beautiful though, don't you think?"

 

Natasha is silent as she flexes her jaw and stares at the giddy man as he continues to point to the multiple mutilated bodies that are tacked up against the wall, his body quivers with an excitement she hasn't ever seen in perp before. She can barely stomach to watch as he presents her with each body and each torturous moment the other woman had been through; she can't help but wonder if this was what they had felt, a fear that runs deep into your bones.

 

"Now, this one was a fun one. Quite the firecracker." Jack snickers as he slowly reaches for a photo before he turns to face Natasha with a smile. "This one knew you, you know? She thought you were going to come safe her."

 

Natasha swallows hard and turns her head away, "Okay."

 

The anger swells deep within Natasha as she stares at the photo of a terrified Casey, and hazy green eyes that haunt her dreams stare back at her with thick tears and caked blood on her face. Words slide onto the the tip of her tongue and she bites down hard enough to keep them from slipping out, but she can see the way his jaw clenches as his hand drops the picture onto the desk before he gives a growl and moves to stand before her.

 

A slap sounds loudly in the air and Natasha's head once again snaps to the side, but this time the woman gives a forced chuckle as she swallows down the copper in her mouth. Natasha looks at the man and jerks up in her seat and Jack gives a loud snarl before his hand snaps forward and curls easily around her neck. All at once, the confidence she has disappears as his hand tightens hard enough for her to release a small gasp.

 

"That's it." Jack purrs, the happiness returns to his face as he snickers. "I can see it now. The fear. You know that this is the end for you, don't you? You know that I have the power to snap your neck right here and right now."

 

"I doubt that." Natasha rasps as she swallows against his hand. "You couldn't...you couldn't kill me even if you wanted to. I'm your _obsession_ , you're going to take your time. That's if you really want to kill me at all."

 

"Shut up." Jack snarls.

 

Natasha sucks in a breath as his hand curls just a little tighter before the man loosens his grasp on her neck, the legs of the chair scratch against the concrete at the force he releases her; she watches as he tugs at his hair and mutters to himself. She knows she's pushing him too far and she knows she needs to step back, to silence herself. The woman clears her throat and hangs her head as she runs her tongue over her split lip.

 

"Just...keep your mouth shut." Jack hisses as he spins to face Natasha and his brown eyes soften as he notices her posture. "I don't want to hurt you, Natasha. I just want to be with you. So, stop making me so angry."

 

Natasha simply gives a brief nod and she feels her heart skip a beat as a gentle finger brushes beneath chin and guides her head upward, a thumb gently sweeps over the blood on her lip before he flashes her a soft smile. She can see the childish wonder in his eyes as she forces a barely there smile before he pulls away, his feet carry him towards the photos on his wall as he stares up at them before he blows out a long breath.

 

"It's been so hard waiting for this," Jack admits as he shakes his head and reaches out to touch a photo of Natasha before he licks his lips. "Nobody has come close to you, you know? I-I tried, but they just weren't _you_."

 

Natasha stays silent as she tries to calm the way her races as she listens to the sound of his boots as he paces across the floor of the small space they're locked in. All at once he stops, and Natasha glances up and squints in the dimly lit area in an attempt to make out what the man is doing. He walks towards his table once before and grabs something before he spins to face her and Natasha's breath catches as the lamp casts a glow on the knife in his hand.

 

"I know nobody would scream like you, but I needed to try first. You know what they say though, don't you?" Jack chuckles as he flips the knife in his hand before he leans down to drive the blade into the woman's thigh. "Practice makes perfect, Natasha."

 

-

 

The bustle of the precinct simply blurs around Maria as she sits frozen in her spot, her hands shake as they lay in her lap. All she can make out is the rush of blood in her ears and the angry shouts of Natasha's team. Clint is beside himself with frustration as he barks orders at a group of rookies who seem clueless to his words, and eventually the detective gives into his anger and pushes between them before he vanishes.

 

Tony is frantically looking over the board, his normally happy eyes seem harder than ever and Maria can make out the barely hidden worry as he scribbles something on a notepad while Steve paces the room with his phone glued to his ear and fear in his bright orbs. Maria can feel the ball of fear grow steady in her stomach as she flashes a glance to the pictures on the board. The bile rises in her throat as she takes in the bruises that litter each victim's body and she can't help but wonder if Natasha is suffering the same way.

 

Her Natasha. Her wife. Her _world_.

 

The panic seems to seize Maria all at once as she feels her breath catch in her throat, a hand moves to press against her abdomen as she leans forward to curl herself into a protective ball. All at once, the night seems to hit her and the ball in her stomach finally explodes as the emotions run through her and a sob breaks free. The sobs become louder and her breathes come out in short, frantic bursts as she sits up presses a hand to her chest.

 

"Maria..."

 

All she sees is Natasha's lifeless eyes.

 

"Maria, listen to me," A voice orders. "Breathe."

 

All she can hear is Natasha's screams.

 

"Maria!"

 

All she can think of is that her wife isn't with her.

 

The sound of her name sounds so far away as she shakes her head and curls her knees to her chest, her forehead moves to rest against the denim of her jeans as her body continues to rock with loud cries. A harsh order to breathe causes her to release a hiccup as she struggles to suck in any air before she pushes her face harder against her knee and feels the tears that trail quickly down her face before a hand settles on her shoulder.

 

"Hey, Maria. Look at me." Steve orders as he squats in front of his friend and snaps his fingers in front of her face until she finally locks her gaze with his. "Watch me, alright? Match my breaths."

 

"It feels..." Maria trails off as she shakes her head.

 

"You're having a panic attack." Steve explains in a soft voice as he stares at her with a softness only he possesses. "You just need to calm down, you need to relax. I know it's hard, but you've gotta breathe."

 

A water bottle appears in front of Steve's face and the man glances up to see Clint as he stands back with a look of concern. With a small nod, Steve accepts the bottle and turns back to Maria to demonstrate each breath and Maria hesitates for a moment before she finally copies his orders. It takes a few minutes for Steve to pace the woman's breathing and his face goes slack once more as he sees that she's calmer than before and the tears in her eyes are slowly dwindling to sniffles.

 

"That's it, deep breaths." Steve nods as he reaches out with a hesitant hand to rub lightly at the redhead's knee before tired green orbs snap to meet his with a small frown. "It's okay, Maria. You're okay."

 

"Natasha..."

 

"We're going to find her." Clint assures her as he flashes a nod towards the woman who spares him a small glance. "I promise you that I will not stop till I've torn this city apart. I'm going to bring her home."

 

Maria continues to release breathes that sound too shuttery as Steve hands her the water bottle and the woman takes it with hands that quiver as she uncaps it and takes a few sips in an attempt to clear away the way a heat swells around her. She can still feel the effects of her panic attack that claws at her chest, begs for her to fall back into its safety. She can feel the way her heart speeds heavily in her chest as she reminds herself that her wife is missing, the woman she loves is in danger.

 

"I called Peggy, but she didn't pick up. So, Angie is coming to pick her up." Clint mutters as he crosses his arms over his chest and glances to the silent woman. "It'll be better for her to be with someone."

 

"Hopefully it'll keep her from doing anything." Steve mumbles as he glances to Maria and watches as she sips lazily at her water with tears in her eyes. "Did you hear that, Maria? Angie is on his way to get you."

 

"I-I can't leave." Maria scoffs as she glances up at her wife's best friend and Steve simply arches an eyebrow at the anger in her tone. "I need to be here in case she calls or...or if something happens. I can't _leave_."

 

"Maria, the best thing you can do is go home and get some rest." Tony jumps in as he moves to squeeze the woman's shoulder. "We need to do our jobs and bring Natasha home, and we can't do that if you're here breathing down our necks."

 

Maria hesitates with a frown, "I-I'm sorry."

 

"Don't apologize." Steve orders. "Go ahead and wait up front, okay?"

 

Maria simply nods as she stands and sways on her weak legs and Clint is quick to move forward to scoop a protective arm around her waist as he leads the woman towards the front waiting room. Clint barely has time to get Maria comfortable as he helps her into a seat before Angie hurries her way through the door while her wide, worried eyes sweep through the room before she finally targets her gaze on her niece.

 

"Oh hun," Angie breathes out as she moves to scoop Maria into her arms and the brunette instantly buries her face in Angie's shoulder. "It's okay, I'm here. It's going to be okay. They'll find her, she's going to be okay."

 

"She's right." Clint nods.

 

Angie glances at him and frowns, "Shouldn't you be looking for Natasha?"

 

"I just wanted to make sure that Maria got out here okay and that she would be getting wherever she needs to be safely." Clint drawls as he crosses his arms over his broad chest. "Natasha would kill me if something happened to Maria."

 

"We're fine." Angie assures him.

 

Clint nods and gives Maria a small smile, "Get some rest."

 

"We need to get you home, you should be resting." Angie whispers as she watches Clint walk away before she stands and offers her hand to her niece. "You need to go home, Maria. There's nothing you can do here."

 

"I can't just..."

 

"They're taking care of it," Angie cuts in as she reaches down to latch onto Maria's hand before she pulls her easily from her chair and curls an arm around her waist. "Let me them take care of Natasha and I'll take care of you."

 

Maria sighs as she ducks her head, "Okay."

 

**-x-**

 

"Good afternoon." A man greets as he flashes a bright smile and waits patiently for the woman behind the desk to look at him with her cold gaze. "I was wondering if you could kindly point me in the direction of Detective Barton."

 

"I can kindly point you in the direction of a _chair_." The woman replies as she gestures to the chair across the room and the man flashes it a quick glance. "And then I'll go get Detective Barton for you."

 

"Sounds good." The man nods.

 

The woman rolls her eyes and patters off to where Clint is working, "Detective Barton?"

 

"What, Judy?" Clint demands as he glances up, his expression turns sheepish for a moment when he sees the irritation on the receptionist's face. "Look, I don't have time for whatever you're about to tell me."

 

"I really don't care what you have time for." Judy snaps as she narrows her eyes at the man while she folds her arms over her chest. "There's a man out front who asked me to kindly point him in the direction of you."

 

"Are you serious? I don't have time for this."

 

Clint mutters his frustrations under his breath as he marches out of the room and towards the front of the precinct where his gaze sweeps until it zeroes in on the handsome man that waits patiently for him. A soft sigh leaves him as he tries to calm the irrational part of his brain that tells him to make this guy leave, he has more important things to take care of. It's been three days since his partner went missing and every passing second feels like a lifetime; he just wants Natasha back.

 

"Detective Barton?" The man chirps with a beam.

 

"That would be me." Clint nods and the man stands and offers her his hand and after a moment the blonde gives it a short shake as he narrows his eyes. "What exactly can I help you with, sir?"

 

"Well, it's not me that needs help." The man assures her as he rubs at his chin and flashes the man a look of amusement as he tilts his head Clint's way. "To be honest, it's actually Detective Romanoff that needs your help."

 

Clint freezes and clenches his jaw, "I don't have time for this."

 

"You don't have time for your partner?" The man teases, his tone is full of disbelief as he shakes his head. "Now, I didn't catch that vibe from Detective Romanoff when we spoke of you. She seems to think you're on a manhunt to find her."

 

"What kind of game are you playing here?" Clint hisses as he steps closer to the man and curls his hands into fists. "We're busy, and we don't have time for you to come in here offering up false information."

 

The man falters for only a moment before he shrugs and turns to leave, but a gasp of excitement quickly builds in his throat as Clint reaches for his arm. The blonde's nostrils flare as he pulls his cuffs from his belt and snaps them around the man's thick wrists; Clint can hear the blood that rushes through his head as he tightens the metal until the man winces underneath his tight grip.

 

"So, you do believe me?" He chuckles.

 

Clint growls out his rights as he laughs softly before he quickly twists the man towards a room off to the side; Clint is quick to push him into a chair as he shoots him a glare. The smile on the stranger's face causes a wave of annoyance to wash over him as Clint stares at him before he finally backs out of the room and slams it harshly behind him. For a moment, the blonde bites at his lower lip before he finally turns and hurries through groups of officers before he crashes into his bullpen.

 

"I just put a man in an interrogation room," Clint says and his team looks at him with confusion before he clears his throat and sets his hands on his hips. "It's some guy claiming that he took Natasha."

 

Fury steps forward with a frown, "Do you believe him?"

 

"I do." Clint nods. "He was the witness who found Marissa's body."

 

-

 

"Maria." Sharon sighs as she walks into her best friend's bedroom, the woman is curled around one of Natasha's pillows as she stares blankly out the window. "Maybe you should get up and move around a little. Eat something."

 

"I'm not hungry." Maria mumbles.

 

"You haven't eaten anything since Aunt Angie picked you up from the precinct," Sharon reminds her as she moves to kneel on the side of the bed that Maria faces. "I'm getting seriously worried about you, I've never seen you like this before."

 

"My wife has never been missing before." Maria point out, her voice is monotone and calm as she pushes her face further into Natasha's pillow. "It's been almost three days and I haven't heard a single thing."

 

"They're probably buried in files." Sharon offers as she reaches out to cup her hand over Maria's as she gives her a soft frown. "They'll call you soon, and if they don't then you and I will call down there ourselves."

 

"I feel so useless without her." Maria admits with a bitter scoff. "She's everything to me, and I feel like I can't _breathe_ without her. I don't understand how this could've happened. She's a cop, an amazing cop."

 

"So is Steve, but that doesn't mean that her job is perfect. It doesn't mean that she's not reckless." Sharon scolds as she furrows her brow. "Look, I love Nat but you can't tell me that one of these days you weren't expecting this. You can't say that you didn't see this coming."

 

Maria sits up quickly as her mouth twists into a frown, "What is _that_ supposed to mean?"

 

Sharon sucks in a breath as she locks her gaze with her best friend's, "How many times has she and Clint gotten themselves into trouble? How many times have you checked her out of the hospital because of something the two of them have done? Their attitude towards their safety is concerning."

 

"You can't seriously be saying all of this to me right now." Maria scoffs as a look of disbelief appears on her face. "She's _missing_ , Sharon. My wife may not be a rule book cop like Steve, but she's a damn good detective."

 

"Maria, I'm not implying that she's a bad detective." Sharon assures her. "I'm just saying that she's reckless."

 

"I can't believe you right now." Maria sneers as she throws her legs over the side of the bed while Sharon shuttles back slightly. "I always expect this from Aunt Angie, but never from you. You're supposed to understand it, your husband is on the same unit as Nat!"

 

"Maria, I'm not trying to upset you." Sharon assures her as the blonde quickly stands and watches as Maria rolls her eyes and does the same. "I-I don't want to do this with you, okay? But you have to know that this job could get her killed."

 

"Don't say that." Maria hisses. "She's not dead."

 

Sharon falls silent at the anger behind her cousin's words before she watches as Maria hurries towards the closet and throws it open; the brunette is silent as she pulls out a fresh pair of jeans and one of Natasha's college hoodies. Maria dresses quickly and pulls her hair into a messy bun before she hurries out of the comfort of her bedroom and Sharon lingers for only a moment before she trails after the woman to see her digging in her purse.

 

"Where are you going?" Sharon demands.

 

"I'm going to the precinct." Maria replies in a soft whisper as she glances over her shoulder to catch her cousin's frown. "At least I know I'll have support there because I'm sure as hell not getting any from you."

 

Maria leaves and Sharon stands there wallowing in her guilt.

 

-

 

"Tell me again why I can't be in there?"

 

Fury glances to his disgruntled detective as Clint stands beside him; the two stand with their gazes focused on the window of the interrogation room. On the opposite side, Jack Walsh sits with his cuffed hands on the table as he whistles and lazily looks around the room without a care in the world. Clint growls under his breath as he stares at the man before he turns to pace behind his boss as his hands curl into fists.

 

"You're too invested, Barton." Fury sighs as he turns his attention back to Jack. "He knows too much about you, he already knows how much Romanoff means to you and he'll just use it against you."

 

"She's my partner!" Clint snarls.

 

"And you love her." Fury replies and he watches as Clint falters before his eyes widen and his cheeks bleed with a blush. "It's okay, your secret is safe with me. I just can't let you go in there when you're this angry."

 

"He knows where she is." Clint hisses as he flexes his jaw and narrows his gaze at the man inside the room. "She could be bleeding out somewhere and he's just sitting over there like nothing could bother him."

 

"And that's why I'm sending Steve and Tony in." Fury explains before his shoulder straighten as the two enter the room. "They're a good team when it comes to interrogations, and they'll do anything to bring her home."

 

"So," Tony begins as he furrows his brow and tosses a file down on the table before he plops in the chair across from Jack. "Jackson Walsh. Age thirty three. Foster kid. Never adopted. A string of misdemeanors from your teen years."

 

"Nothing too bad." Steve points out as he spins his chair so he can straddle it before he balances his forearms on the back of it. "Petty theft at fourteen, disorderly conduct at sixteen, vandalism and reckless driving at twenty...nothing horrible."

 

"Oh. Well, then you were just a punk kid." Tony offers as he leans back in his chair while his gaze dances over the man's face. "But now you've seem to have graduated to the bigger stuff, you're a serial killer."

 

"You know, this is cute," Jack muses as he lifts his cuffed hands to scratch at his face. "So, first you're going to start with talking about my past record and then you're going to start talking about my life in the foster system, right?"

 

"I see somebody watches crime shows." Tony hums as he flips the file open before he scatters a few pictures in front of the man and jabs a finger down on a certain photo. "Do any of these women look familiar?"

 

Jack heaves a sigh as he drops his gaze to the pictures before he reaches out to rest his hands on one while a soft smile appears on his face, "That's my girl. Detective Romanoff."

 

"You know her?" Steve demands.

 

"I know her quite well." Jack nods as he licks his lips and reluctantly tears his gaze from the picture to glance towards Steve. "I mean, not as well as you two. You're her best friends. Practically her brothers. So I guess I only know her on a surface level."

 

Tony clenches his jaw and swallows hard, "Have you spoken to Detective Romanoff?"

 

"I have." Jack smirks. "Last night."

 

Steve tense as his eyes slowly narrow, "And what did she have to say?"

 

"Oh, the usual," Jack shrugs as he rolls his eyes in annoyance. "She just went on and on about her team and her wife, but she got quiet after a while. She's not too good at staying awake once you pump a few syringes of drugs into her."

 

On the opposite side of the glance, Clint clicks his teeth as he makes a move towards the door only for Fury's hand to reach out and grab a hold of his bicep. The blonde snarls under his breath in annoyance as he struggles in Fury's grasp before he turns his head to see the cool expression on Fury's face and instantly the anger multiplies as he glares at her boss and tears his arm free of his hold.

 

"He's in there playing games." Clint points out as the frustration melts into his tone. "I can't just stand out here and listen to him play us all for fools. I can't do that while Natasha is out there probably fighting to stay alive."

 

"Detective Barton, stand down," Fury orders and he watches as Clint stares at him before he gives a strong nod and calms slightly. "I won't tell you again, Barton. Either calm down or leave the room."

 

Clint gaps slightly, "I can't just stand here..."

 

"Then take a walk." Fury orders, his voice lowers dangerously as he locks his dark eyes with the annoyed detective. "Get yourself in order before I pull you from this case. Do we have an understanding, Detective Barton?"

 

Clint clenches his jaw and gives a brief nod, "Yes sir."

 

-

 

_"Nat!"_

 

_Natasha turns in time to catch a whirl of dark locks, "Whoa there!"_

 

_"We bought a house, Nat." Maria murmurs in disbelief as she strings her arms around Natasha's neck and listens to her wife's laugh of agreement. "We bought a house, babe. We're married. You're a cop, and I'm a lawyer."_

 

_"Thank you for the recap of our lives, Ria." Natasha teases as she pinches at the skin of Maria's hips. "Why are you smiling at me like that?"  
_

 

_Natasha giggles as she reaches out to poke at Maria's stomach and the brunette folds into herself slightly as she releases a soft laugh. Once she is able to step away from poking fingers, Maria reaches out to curl her arms around her wife and she pulls her into a soft embrace. With a sigh of contentment, the redhead easily melts into the hug as she folds her hands on Maria's chest and snuggles her head underneath the woman's chin._

 

_"So, why are you so happy?" Natasha asks in a sing song tone._

 

_Maria shrugs and pulls away to stare down at her wife, "We're home."_

 

_Natasha flashes the woman a lopsided smile as she takes a long moment to look around the house that she and Maria have been saving to buy; after a year of marriage, they have finally managed to move out of their shack of an apartment and into their dream home. Natasha eagerly nods to herself as she releases a sigh of happiness before she wraps an arm around her wife's waist and draws her close as they both took a moment to breathe in the accomplishment they have made._

 

_"By this time next year, I could be a detective." Natasha whispers as she glances up to watch as Maria smiles and nods in agreement. "And after that, we can start talking about having a family. We'll bring a baby into our little world."_

 

_Maria brightens as she grins, "Yeah?"_

 

_"Of course. Peggy made me swear that we'd pass on the Carter legacy." Natasha scoffs as she gives an amused roll of her eyes while Maria laughs. "I'm serious, Ria. I can't wait to have a family with you."_

 

_"Same to you, baby."_

 

_Maria grins as she scoops Natasha into her arms and the older woman squeaks in surprise as she's lifted into the embrace before the brunette surges forward to press their lips together in a kiss that lingers a moment too long. After a moment, Maria pulls away and Natasha rests their foreheads together as she struggles to catch her breath before dark lashes flutter open to reveal Maria's favorite pair of green eyes._

 

_"We should make this place our own, right?" Natasha murmurs as Maria moves to press her against the wall. "Start practicing for our future babies?"_

 

_Maria snorts as she presses her lips to Natasha's neck, "You do realize that you don't have the parts for that, right?"_

_"Well," Natasha moans as she tightens her legs around Maria's hips and shivers from the soft kisses. "We'll just have to kill two birds with one stone, you can make sure I don't have the parts and then we can pretend to make a baby. Sound good?"_

 

_"You're such an idiot." Maria chuckles._

 

_"Yeah." Natasha sighs. "But you married this idiot."_

 

_Maria pulls away and smiles softly, "Best decision I've ever made."_

 

A rush of pain pulses through Natasha's body as she struggles to open her eyes. The memory in her mind slowly slips away as the darkness clears behind her gaze while she struggles to lift her head so she can look around the dark cell. The woman furrows her brow as she strains her hearing, the stillness of the air causes her to tense as she squints her eyes in search of the man who was slowly stripping her of her strength day by day.

 

After a few quiet moments, Natasha releases a small relieved sob as she realizes she's alone. Natasha winces as she tugs at her hands and the prickles in her fingertips cause her arms to ache as she clenches her hands into fists. Natasha can smell the fresh scent of blood, her blood, it fills the air and she can feel her eyes already growing heavy once more; she knows her time is slowly running down with every passing second.

 

She can't tell how many days she's been with Jack, all she knows is that she has taken one too many shots to the stomach and sides and has suffered a stab wound in her thigh, bicep, and shoulder; she knows her life is slowly bleeding from her. With a hard cough, Natasha pinches her lips into a thin line at the familiar taste of copper in her mouth.

 

The blood stains her teeth as she gives another cough before she allows her head to fall back as she sends a soft prayer up to God while she thinks about her wife; after a moment, her gaze lifts to lock on Maria's eyes in one of the many pictures of the brunette. Maria swirls through Natasha's mind as she feels her eyes grow heavy; all she can see is her wife's smile as she presses kisses to Natasha's face, and that is all the woman needs to hold onto before she gives into the weight of her injuries.

 

-

 

"Maria?" Clint frowns as he walks towards the waiting room of the precinct and his brow furrows as he watches the woman stand and slowly move towards him. "You're supposed to be at home resting."

 

"I can't." Maria sniffles as she wrings her hands around the handles of her purse and Clint takes in the bright red tip of her nose and her puffy eyes. "I just...I couldn't stay there. I need to be here."

 

"You really don't." Clint sighs as he rests his hands on his hips.

 

"I wouldn't be if someone would've just called me and given me an update on what the hell is going on with everything." Maria hisses as the sadness in her eyes goes dark before they narrow. "It's almost been _three_ days."

 

"And a lot has happened." Clint replies as he rubs at his brow and stares at the scowling woman. "Look, I didn't want to call you until we were sure, but we think we have the perp who took Natasha in custody."

 

"Are you sure?" Maria gasps. "Where is he?"

 

"He's in the interrogation room with Steve and Tony," Clint grumbles as he clenches his jaw and tries to hide the fury behind a forced smile. "I tried to go in myself but apparently I'm too close to the case."

 

"Wait," Maria cuts in as she shakes her head and looks at the detective. "If you have the guy who did this then why isn't anyone out there looking for Natasha? Why isn't she here? Why can't you find her?"

 

"He's not giving anything up, Maria." Clint replies as he rolls his tongue over his teeth. "He's just playing games with us right now. All we know is that he has her and...and we think that she's suffered some injuries. He had blood on his clothes."

 

Maria's legs go weak at the words and a quick arm sweeps around her waist to steady her while gentle orbs stare down at her in worry. All she can hear is Clint's words repeating over and over in her head and all she can picture is her beautiful wife suffering somewhere that nobody can find. She can feel the panic that bubbles in her stomach as she gives a hard swallow and shakes her head as Clint asks if she's okay.

 

"What did he do to her?" Maria demands.

 

"We don't know. Like I said, he's not saying anything." Clint says as he glances around before he lowers her voice. "But I _will_ find out here she is, Maria. I don't care if I have to do it by the book or not."

 

Maria gives a curt nod as she draws herself back to lock her gaze with Clint's, "Promise me that you'll do whatever you have to do to make sure she comes home, Clint. Promise me that you won't stop looking."

 

"I promise, Maria." Clint assures her. "Let's go get you some water."

 

"Okay." Maria whispers.

 

-

 

"So, are we done with these questions yet?" Jack sighs as he hangs his head back before he rights it once more and flickers his gaze between the pair. "I gave you enough information to arrest me, right?"

 

"Where is Detective Romanoff?" Tony demands.

 

"Mm," Jack hums as he tilts his head in thought. "I don't know."

 

"Mr. Walsh, we're not going to ask you again," Steve snaps as he curls his hands into fists, latches onto the material of his jeans to keep from reaching for his gun. "Tell us the location of Detective Romanoff."

 

Jack hesitates for only a moment before he shakes his head, "Nah."

 

"Fuck this." Tony snarls as he stands and Steve is right alongside him.

 

The detectives move around the table while Jack looks between them, the amusement and excitement clear on his face as they reach out to clamp their hands around his biceps. Steve wants nothing more than to slam the man against the wall, to demand answers as to where his best friend is, but all he can do is yank the guy from his chair while Tony stands alongside him with the same look of anger.

 

"Ooh, you're so rough." Jack chuckles as he stumbles forward before they release him and Tony gives his shoulder a hard shove. "Oh come on, don't you have a few more questions? You can't be done yet!"

 

"You don't seem to want to give up any information so we're going to put you in a holding cell for a little bit and then we'll let our boss take a crack at you." Tony growls as he gives him another harsh shove.

 

"Hm, I see Detective Romanoff was a huge hit around here," Jack muses as he sees the way officers part and shoot him looks of disgust and anger. "I see the appeal. She's quite easy on the eyes, huh? Your friend sure is pretty."

 

"Shut up." Steve orders with a growl to his tone.

 

Jack chuckles as he feels his body being jerked to a stop as Tony reaches out to unlock the cell before the man's eyes dance around the room to take in everyone's expressions; his brow furrows for a split second as he catches sight of Clint darting towards them. But his curiosity towards the man vanishes when he catches sight of haunted blue eyes and his brow arches happily as he locks his gaze with the woman's.

 

"Oh," Jack purrs as he stares Maria down. "So, this is the _wife_?"

 

Clint moves to stand in front of the brunette with a scowl, "Get him the hell out of here."

 

As the blonde turns back to face Maria, his eyes widen in shock as he stares down the barrel of his own gun. He can see the desperation that coats Maria's expression as she braces her hands on the gun in the exact way Natasha taught her. Within seconds, guns raise to point towards the brunette while Clint shifts so he's out of Maria's line of fire while he holds his hands out towards the woman and tries to catch her attention.

 

"Where is she?" Maria demands.

 

"Maria, put the gun down." Clint hisses.

 

"Tell me where Natasha is!" Maria orders, but her voice cracks halfway towards the sentence and it draws a laugh from Jack as he stares at her. "Why are you doing this?"

 

"Maria," Fury warns as he edges closer to the woman with his own gun trained on her as he flexes his jaw. "Maria, you need to put the gun down. You don't want to do this, Natasha wouldn't want you to..."

 

"She's not here!" Maria snaps as her wide blue orbs dance to Fury for a moment. "She would want me to do _anything_ I could to get her back and I swear I'll put a bullet in his head if he doesn't tell me where she is right now."

 

"Oh," Jack chuckles. "Big words from such a little girl."

 

"Keep him quiet." Fury barks.

 

Jack throws his head back and releases a loud cackle of amusement and Clint flashes him a glance, he can only imagine how he'd mostly begin to clap his hands in glee if they weren't cuffed behind his back. Clint can see from his expression the joy he is having in the moment, he can see how happy he is that he has managed to not only take one of their own but is slowly working on cracking another.

 

Maria shakes her head as she ignores the orders that people shout from around her, her hands quiver against the grip she has on the cold metal and all she can picture are Natasha's hands as they mold slowly over her own. She can hear her wife's words whispered in ear as she pops the safety and readies her shot, her finger dances against the trigger warningly as she narrows her eyes at the man that laughs from across the room.

 

"Maria, you can't do this," Clint pleads as he moves closer to the woman, careful to stay out of her line of shot. "If you kill him, if you do this, then we'll never find Natasha and you'll be spending the rest of your life behind bars."

 

The woman's expressions falters for a moment before she shakes her head, "He isn't going to tell you. He's going to keep playing all of us. I-I _need_ her, Clint. I didn't need anyone until I had her, I didn't want anyone until I met her."

 

"Hey, I get that." Clint assures her as he holds his hands steady and gives a small smile to the frantic woman. "Believe me when I say, I understand what you're saying. She's the center of your world, right?"

 

"Yeah." Maria sniffles. "And he took her away."

 

The anger appears back in Maria's expression and she takes a small step forward with Clint right beside her as he lowers her voice, "You don't want to do this. Please, Maria. Natasha wouldn't want you to do this."

 

"I just...I just want my wife back." Maria whispers.

 

The defeat in the words gives Clint enough time to step forward and pull the gun from Maria's hands, and the man quickly puts the safety back on before he glances up to see a rookie cuffing Maria. He watches as he quickly wrenches her arms back and the brunette gives a small wince of pain and Clint scowls as he tightens the bracelets around her wrist until her face is pinched in discomfort.

 

"Be careful, she's not a perp." Clint growls as he moves to bat his hands away before he loosens the handcuffs and gives Maria's hand a small squeeze. "I'm gonna set you up in an interrogation room, alright?"

 

"That's the big show?" Jack demands, his smile falls into an easy grin as he rolls his forehead against the cool bars. "I knew you didn't have it in you. Just like your wife. You're all talk and no action."

 

A growl of frustration tears through Maria's chest as she lunges forward in Clint's hold, the detective curls his arms around the woman's waist and pulls her back. Inside the cage, Jack watches with a thrill of victory in his eyes as he continues to roll his forehead against the cool bars while his laughter fills the room; it only causes Maria to fight harder as she struggles in Clint's tight grasp.

 

"Ooh, you're a fighter." Jack snickers. "So is your wife."

 

"I'm going to kill him!" Maria cries as tears trail down her face while her gaze locks onto the laughing man. "Clint, let me go! He knows where she is, he has her! You promised, Clint! You promised you'd save her!"

 

"Seems like Detective Barton promises a lot of things." Jack chuckles, but his words are lost as Maria gives a frustrated yell. "I could've sworn he promised Detective Romanoff he'd always have her back, yeah? Swell job you're doing, Detective."

 

The resentment and frustration that has been building in Clint boils to the surface as he catches the words leaving the man's mouth, his hands roughly shove Maria into the arms of a rookie before he crosses the room. Quick hands dart through the bars of the cell and yank Jack close to her, his chin and chest knock harshly against the cell as the smile returns to his face while brown eyes search Clint's face happily.

 

"I will finish what Maria started if you don't shut your mouth," Clint warns. "I'm going to find my partner and I'm going to bring her home, and after that we're going to both make sure you rot in the deepest part of hell."

 

"You might find your partner, but that doesn't mean she's going to be alive." Jack whispers, his lips shake in an attempt to smother his smile. "I left her in quite a state. She was taking a nice little nap the last time I saw her."

 

"Where is she?" Clint shouts as she pulls Jack closer to himself.

 

"That's enough." Fury scowls as he reaches out to grab Clint's hands and pull them free from the man's shirt before he gives Jack a harsh shove. "Get your ass over there, Mr. Walsh. Barton, come with me."

 

Clint keeps his eyes on Jack as Fury latches on his bicep and tugs him back, and the fury in him builds as Jack gives him a wink and blows him a kiss. The blonde grits his teeth and fumes as he spins away from him and allows himself to led down the hallway before the interrogation room door opens and Fury pushes him inside. On the opposite side of the room, Maria pauses in her pace as she looks between Fury and Clint in confusion while the blonde smooths his jacket down and forces a scowl onto his face.

 

"What in the hell is wrong with the two of you?" Fury exclaims as he dances his dark eyes between them. "Maria, you pulled a _gun_ on our suspect. Barton, you just _attacked_ him. You two need to get yourselves together."

 

"He knows where she is..."

 

"Clint, I know this!" Fury cuts in with a growl to his low voice. "I realize that he's just jerking us around, and I realize that every second that passes is another second we're wasting not getting to Romanoff but there's nothing we can do."

 

"The hell there isn't! Put him in the cage and give Steve five minutes with him, he'll have him spilling all his secrets in five minutes." Clint hisses as he clenches his jaw and matches Maria's pace across the room.

 

Fury stares at the pair and shakes his head, he can tell by the way they walk that their allowing their anger to cloud their judgement. He knows Maria is a sweet person, he had watched her grow up, watched her grow into a beautiful young woman, but this is a side he's never seen before. And Clint is a strict follow the rules detective, but it seems all logic and moral is thrown out the window when Natasha is involved.

 

"You two are done." Fury declares after a silent moment.

 

"She's my wife!" Maria whimpers as she hurries towards the man. "She's missing and he knows where she is and you're not doing anything about it, Fury! It's like you don't care. How could you do this?"

 

"You know I care, Maria." Fury assures her as he crosses his arms over his chest and looks between the two. "Now, you two can stay in here while we run the rest of the investigation. I'll have Tony come check on you in a little bit."

 

Clint scurries after his boss as the door closes behind him and the detective reaches to test the knob and releases a hiss of frustration as he slams his open palm against it and turns to slide down the cool metal. Maria matches his stance on the opposite side of the room while his forehead drops to his knee; the two sit in silence as the situation falls on them and silent tears begin to color their skin.

 

-

 

"Did you take Barton off the case?" Tony frowns as Fury walks back into the room and his brown eyes are quick to cut to his detective. "Never mind. Forget I asked."

 

"I will. Mind your damn business, Stark." Fury scolds as he moves towards Steve and snatches the file from his hands before his gaze flickers over the words. "Tell me that you two have something to go on."

 

"His apartment has been searched, doesn't look like he's been there in a few days." Steve frowns as he rubs tiredly at his jaw while his brow furrows nervously. "We have Skye looking through his past records, trying to find his last paying job."

 

"This guy can't just be slipping through the cracks, he slipped up somewhere." Fury snaps as he flips the file shut and hands it back to Steve. "Somebody has to know _something_ about him. He can't just be a random face in the crowd."

 

"The tip lines are open, but they're just pouring in with the typical nonsense of speculations and false alarms." Steve mumbles as he licks his lips and flashes his tired eyes to his boss. "All we can do now is wait."

 

Fury blows out a long breath as he flashes a glance towards Natasha's empty desk, his brow furrows as she tries to remind himself that allowing his emotions to take over will do nothing to help his missing detective. It just kills him to know that a known serial killer has been holding Natasha for four days and they have no idea what kind of damage he has done, and they're no closer to knowing where to find her.

 

"New York ports!"

 

Fury frowns as their tech analyzer darts into the room with a file, "What?"

 

"New York ports." Skye repeats in a breathless tone.

 

"What are you going on about?" Tony demands as he wonders over to grab the file before he flicks it open and reads the scramble of words. "Huh. Apparently he's been working over at the New York ports."

 

"And?"

 

"He works as a deckhand, boss," Tony scoffs as a smile of relief creeps across his face before he watches the slow realization appear on Fury and Steve's faces. "He has access to countless amounts of cargo carriers."

 

"We're going to need a little more than that, Stark," Fury frowns as he shoves his hands into the pockets of his slacks. "There are over a hundred shipping carriers that are docked right now, and there will be a hundred more tomorrow."

 

"But only one of them has been docked for the last year." Skye chimes in but she quickly shrinks back as fierce gazes look to her. "A carrier was damaged while being moved and it's been parked at the docks for a year."

 

"Get the number of the carrier." Fury orders as he rushes into his office to grab his gun before he leaves the room and points a finger at the tech woman. "Impressive work, Johnson. Get me that number."

 

It's a whirl of activity as Skye turns to rush away while Fury moves out towards the front of the precinct, a smug expression appears on his face as he stares into the holding cell and takes in the sight of Jack. The man sits with an expression of boredom as he stares up at the ceiling and a chill of excitement rolls down Fury's spine when he realizes that the game is over, he's finally beaten the man.

 

"You worked at the shipping docks, didn't you?" Fury demands as he marches towards the cell and his brow arches as the man simply shrugs. "Now isn't the time to play coy, Mr. Walsh. Answer the question."

 

"Hm," Jack sighs as he sits up slightly on the bench and furrows his brow before he lifts his cuffed hands to scratch at his face. "You see, I can't really remember my past employers. There's been quite a few."

 

"Carrier MD-11." Skye exclaims as she rushes towards her boss.

 

"We caught you, you sick fuck," Fury snaps. "I bet you thought that it would take us days to figure this out, but we don't stop when it comes to bringing someone from our family home. The game is over, and you lose."

 

Fury simply smirks in pride as he glances towards the man one last time who seems in disbelief to the words that Skye has said. For the first time since he came in, Jack's happiness slips away as his jaw clenches and he flashes a venomous glare towards Skye. The sergeant doesn't stop to listen to his roar of anger as Jack quickly stands to slam his hands against the metal bars, the man's boots tick hard on the tiles as he rushes through the hallways of the precinct and stops at a familiar door.

 

Fury bursts into the room and scans the pair over, "We got her."

 

Clint is on his feet within seconds, a determination shines through his gaze as he gives Maria a small glance and the pair share a nod. They're both ready and prepared for what they know they'll find once they finally get to Natasha. With a small sigh, Clint wonders towards Maria and pulls the handcuffs from his back pocket and quickly snaps them around the woman's small wrists. With a huff of disbelief, Maria glares down at the metal before she looks to her wife's partner in confusion.

 

"You're a flight risk, Maria," Clint shrugs as he wraps a hand around Maria's bicep and guides her towards the door. "As much as I'd love to give you your freedom, I can't risk you trampling all over a crime scene."

 

"Natasha isn't a _crime_ _scene_." Maria snaps as she stumbles alongside Clint.

 

"That's not what I'm saying, Maria," Clint mumbles as he guides her through the halls. "We need every strand and every bit of evidence we can get about this guy, and I know you're going to want to get to Natasha no matter what and I can't risk that."

 

Maria bites her lower lip before she finally nods as they follow behind the swarm of law enforcement that hurries towards the door, Clint pauses for a long moment to glance back at Jack who stares at them with a scowl. A smug smirk slides across Clint's face as he notices his cool nature wash away as he realizes that his game is over, they're going to find the missing piece of his puzzle and end his charade.

 

"It won't matter!" Jack yells as he jams his body closer to the bars of the cell while his dark gaze tracks the teams that power out of the building. "You might know where she is, but that doesn't mean she's alive!"

 

"You better hope for your sake that she is." Fury snarls.

 

Jack Walsh gives one last laugh before he is left alone in his cell.

 

-

 

Clint glances nervously in the rearview mirror and watches as Maria's gaze bounces outside the window as she shifts in her seat. The happiness on the brunette's face causes Clint to swallow hard as his heart breaks; he knows what they're going to find, and he knows it's not going to be pretty. He and Natasha have worked case after case like this and he fears that the four days the woman has been gone is going to show.

 

"Maria," Clint begins as he presses his foot harder on the gas pedal so the car lurches forward to join the line that races in front of them. "You need to prepare yourself, okay? She's...she was with him for three days."

 

"She's alive." Maria whispers and Clint barely catches her words over the whirl of sirens. "I know she is. If she was dead, I would...I would feel it. I _know_ she's alive and she's going to be okay."

 

"I really hope you're right." Clint scoffs.

 

The silence of the car causes a chill to run through the pair as the bounce of red and blue lights surround them, cop cars and SUV's rush by as they drive hurriedly through the streets of New York. Tires squeal as Clint takes a sharp turn, the SUV glides easily behind Fury's as they drive over the docks and towards a row of storage units; in one of them waits his partner, waits for someone to come for her.

 

Clint slams onto his brakes as the car in front of him stops, his teeth clench as he throws the door open and scrambles out before he reaches over into the passenger seat to grab his abandoned Kevlar vest. The man focuses on strapping himself up before he glances up to see Tony and Steve moving towards him with slight scowls as they flash glances towards Clint's car before both pause before him and fold their arms over their chests.

 

"Why is she here?" Tony demands. "It's too dangerous."

 

"She's here because I brought her." Clint snaps as he pulls a strap across his body before he glances up at his team who continues to glare at him. "I made a call, alright? It's on me if Fury is upset about it."

 

"She shouldn't be here," Steve scolds. "You don't know what we're..."

 

"Don't finish that sentence, Rogers," Clint growls as he shoots him a glare before he flexes his jaw. "We're going to go in there and we're going to find her and she's going to be fine. That's the end of it, alright?"

 

"You're right." Steve nods. "Keep her in the car."

 

Clint rolls his eyes as he watches Maria scramble from the car before Clint reaches out to unlock one side before he clenches it back around the door handle, "You have to stay here. Don't even try to move."

 

"Clint!" Maria exclaims.

 

"No. You're not going anywhere near her." Clint scolds as he points at the woman before he narrows his eyes. "You can't barge into a crime scene, Maria. I know you don't want to think of it as that, but it's what it is."

 

Maria opens her mouth to protest only to snap her jaw shut as she glares at the man who carefully checks his Kevlar before he eagerly draws his gun free, his gaze darkens as he hurries to join his team. Clint lines up behind a few men and watches as two of them easily cut the lock on the storage unit before he hesitates only a moment, his hand reaches for his Maglite that easily flicks on and colors the darkness.

 

Beams of light cut through the dark storage unit and Clint's feet feel heavy as they carry him forward while his gun sweeps through the room before his light settles on a figure that is seated in the middle of the room. In the dim light of his flashlight, Clint can make out the sight of a bruised and beaten body that rests limp in a chair, fiery locks curtain the beaten face and his breath catches as he rushes forward.

 

"Natasha," Clint breathes out as he quickly holsters his gun and rushes towards his partner, his knees hit the metal of the container as he reaches out to cup the woman's bruised face. "Tasha. Hey, wake up. Open your eyes."

 

Natasha hums tiredly as she lifts her head, "Where have you been?"

 

"Oh, you know, just looking for you." Clint chuckles as he stands and moves to slide behind his partner before he unlocks the cuffs with practiced ease. "We're gonna get you out of here, Tasha. Your wife is waiting."

 

A soft sob leaves Natasha's mouth at the words as her hands are finally free, the blood rushes to the tips of her fingers as she struggles to lift them. The woman swallows hard and gags lightly on the familiar taste of blood as a wave of pain washes over her. Clint frowns in concern as he catches sight of Natasha's body going limp, the detective springs around the side of the chair to grab a hold of his partner before she falls forward, the woman's forehead rests easily against his shoulder.

 

"Get a medic in here!" Clint orders.

 

The swarm of medics approaches before the sentence can completely leave his mouth and Clint breathes a sigh of relief as he watches gentle hands lead Natasha's body away from his own while another man prepares a back board. Clint listens to the familiar roll of medical terms that leave the paramedics, while quick hands work to strap the detective down before she is lifted and hurried away with Clint close behind.

 

Clint can't help but realize how anticlimactic everything is, how quickly it has all happened. For the last four days he has been sick with worry, and all he has to remember it by was the blood that now covers his clothes and hands. At the realization, a sharp breath catches in his chest as he curls his hands into fists and feels the slick liquid settle in his fists before he quickly wipes his hands over his vest.

 

Clint blows out a rush of a breath as they rush out of the metal container and he glances to see Maria as she tugs hard at the handcuffs while she calls Natasha's name. The blonde moves to close the distance between himself and the woman and he reaches out with hands that shake to unlock her and Maria whimpers as she stumbles into his arms and scans him over with a look of horror.

 

"Is that...is that all her blood?" Maria demands.

 

"She's alive." Clint points out as he reaches out to guide Maria's chin upward, their gazes lock for a moment as Maria gives a small and curt nod. "She's alive. She's okay, Maria. Go be with your wife, okay?"

 

Maria can only nod as she pushes herself away from Clint and moves to throw herself at the closest paramedic, the woman points towards Natasha and the man nods once before Maria scrambles into the bus. He watches Maria's lips mouth the simple words of 'hi, baby' and it forms so carefully before she leans down to press a gentle kiss to Natasha's forehead while a gentle hand smooths over her face as tears fall freely.

 

Clint can feel a deep pang of jealousy as he watches Maria scoop Natasha's hand into her own as she lifts it to her lips and presses gentle kisses along each knuckle, her eyes close before the doors slam shut and leave Clint alone in a swarm of activity. A hand claps heavily on his shoulder and Clint sucks in a breath before he looks back to see Fury beside him, the man drops his hand away and curls his arms over his chest.

 

"We did it, Barton." Fury assures him. "She's okay."

 

Clint frowns and furrows his brow, "Is she?"


	6. I'll Take Care Of You

**My own prompt: Natasha really isn't crazy about the fact that her wife has become a mentor/mother figure to Wanda Maximoff.**

 

**A/N: Just a few little notes...Pietro is alive in this prompt (I couldn't bare to kill him, he is so adorable), the twins are teenagers (I figure about 17), and Vision is around (I just don't feel like attempting to write him). It's basically a sequel to 'Loving You Is A Bloodsport'.**

 

"Again."

 

"But I'm exhausted." Wanda Maximoff whines.

 

Natasha Romanoff arches an eyebrow at the teen, "I don't care. _Again_."

 

Wanda sucks in a breath as she raises her shaking fists and swings once more at the redhead who easily sways away from the punch. With a growl of annoyance, Wanda lunges forward to grab Natasha only to have her arm snatched and pulled behind her back before her face meets the mat with a painful thud. Natasha hums in amusement as she stands and brushes herself off with practiced ease.

 

"Again." Natasha orders.

 

"That's enough."

 

Natasha glances over her shoulder and deflates slightly when she sees her wife; Maria looks at the scene before she crosses the room to offer a hand to Wanda. The teen eyes it for only a moment before she accepts and allows herself to be pulled up as Maria scans her over and notes the small cut on cheek. With a look of annoyance, Maria throws a glare to Natasha who has the decency to look shamed.

 

"You're done for the day, Wanda. Go see Dr. Cho so she can look at that cut." Maria orders and Wanda simply nods as she hurries to grab her water. "Nat, what have I told you? You can't push her like that."

 

"She's never going to learn if we don't push her." Natasha reminds her as she moves to grab her own water bottle before she pops the cap. "You can't keep coddling her, Maria. She needs to get a handle on her powers and her hand to hand combat."

 

"So, if Beckett was in her place..." Maria begins.

 

"But he's _not_. And he never will be." Natasha snaps as she cuts into her wife's words and flashes her a small glare before she looks at Maria's small swell. "And neither will our daughter or son. Our kids will _never_ be a part of this life."

 

"Nat, Beckett has it in his head that he's going to grow up to be just like Steve. We can't just say that they'll never be a part of..." Maria trails off as she sees the frustration on Natasha's face. "I'm sorry. I'm not trying to upset you."

 

"Look, it's bad enough that I have to train the kid," Natasha snaps as she grabs her towel and flashes her wife a look of irritation. "On top of that, my life has become the center of everyone's attention and I'm not crazy about it."

 

"Babe."

 

Natasha shakes her head as she subtly ducks her head, "I wish I never would've told anyone about you, I never should have taken them to our house. You were never supposed to be a part of this. You were never meant to be around the twins."

 

"I already _am_ a part of this, I always have been. Do I like that Beckett is a part of it? Of course not. But there's nothing we can do, Natasha. You can't go back." Maria sighs. "So, stop punishing yourself and just...you have to get over it."

 

"Easier said then done, Maria." Natasha snaps.

 

Maria frowns as her wife brushes past her and storms out.

 

**-x-**

 

"Have you eaten?"

 

Wanda looks away from the dummy and shakes her head, "Not yet."

 

"You can't spend your entire day in here." Maria frowns as she sets a protective hand on the beginning swell of her stomach. "I know Natasha has been hard on you lately, but you can only do so much."

 

"I have to be better." Wanda growls as she turns back to the dummy and allows a red mist to surround it. "I _must_ be better. For my brother, for this team. I have to practice just as Pietro has. I cannot allow anyone to be hurt."

 

"Wanda, exhausting yourself won't help." Maria scolds as she takes a small step closer. "I know that you feel like practicing for hours on end will do something, but you're wrong. You have all the time in the world to learn."

 

Wanda hesitates and then drops her hands, "I just want to impress them."

 

"Well, _I'm_ impressed." Maria smiles. "And Beckett most certainly is."

 

"I like him. He is very sweet." Wanda whispers as a grin catches the edges of her lips as she looks at the woman with a softness that wasn't there before, a softness that bleeds through. "Thank you, M-Maria. You've been so kind to me."

 

"You're just a kid, Wanda," Maria sighs as she moves to press gentle hands to Wanda's shoulders. "You have _so_ much to learn, and I can't hold your past mistakes against you. I'm only here to encourage you."

 

Wanda bites her lip and looks away, "May I...hug you?"

 

"After all the emotions I just spewed out? I'd be offended if you didn't." Maria smirks.

 

The sigh that leaves Wanda causes Maria's heart to break before the teen collapses in her embrace. Maria holds her, protects her from the emotions that push so hard against her. It reminds her of Beckett, of how he seeks her out for protection and love. The thought makes her eyes close before she turns her head and presses a gentle kiss to Wanda's dark locks as she tightens her arms.

 

**-x-**

 

"Beckett, it's bath time."

 

Beckett frowns from his place on Tony's shoulders, "Aw, Mommy! I'm playin' with Uncle Tony!"

 

"Yeah, he's playing with Uncle Tony." Tony whines as he pouts his lower lip and glances up to watch as Beckett spares him a single look before he copies the expression. "Just ten more minutes and Tiny Tony is all yours."

 

"Tiny Tony is _already_ all mine." Maria scoffs as she crosses her arms over her chest and points a stern finger at the pair. " _Ten_ minutes, you two. Beckett straight to the bathroom, alright? I'll be waiting."

 

Maria goes about the usual routine of filling the bathtub with a perfect amount of water before she adds Beckett's favorite strawberry bubble bath. All at once, the empty tubs swirls with the perfect amount of bubbles and she chuckles under her breath as she pops one. Maria doesn't know when this is all happened, when her badass image was stripped down to this soft mother type, but she can't say she hates it.

 

"Maria?"

 

The brunette glances over her shoulder, "Wanda? Are you okay?"

 

"I'm fine. I just heard you laughing." Wanda admits as she curls her arms over her chest and rubs her hands along her biceps before she takes a slow step into the room. "I'm not interrupting you, am I?"

 

"Of course not." Maria assures her. "I'm just getting Beckett's bath ready."

 

"Pietro hated bath time." Wanda muses. "I loved it."

 

"Oh?" Maria grins. "Did you take bubble baths?"

 

Wanda looks at her with amusement on her face, "No. Not often. It was rare that our parents could afford those kinds of things. On holidays, our parents would scrub us from head to toe and let us soak in bubbles until the water turned cold."

 

"Beckett refuses to get out until his fingers and toes are wrinkled." Maria chuckles as she reaches for his basket of toys. "You know, bubble baths are kind of a must. My Aunt Peggy always made sure we had bubble baths."

 

"Must've been nice." Wanda whispers with a bittersweet smile.

 

"Mommy!" Beckett exclaims as he runs into the room in only his Iron Man boxers before he takes a running leap towards his mother. "Mommy, can I wear my Cap'in America jammies tonight? Can I? Can I?"

 

Maria rolls her eyes and smooths Beckett's hair back, "Of course."

 

"I'll leave you two." Wanda mumbles as she steps back.

 

"You don't have to..." Maria frowns.

 

"I have to train with Agent Romanoff anyway. Enjoy your bath, Beckett." Wanda whispers.

 

Beckett nods eagerly as he scrambles into the swarm of bubbles and instantly reaches for the tiny boats that float around him, "M'kay, Wandy! Have fun with mama! Try not to kick her butt, okay?"

 

"I shall try." Wanda snickers.

 

Wanda trains with Natasha for two hours, she finds herself on the mat more than on her feet and by the time the redhead dismisses her she is fuming. Pietro tries to make a joke when he rushes by her, but she all she does is shove her brother hard enough to send him bouncing into the wall. The anger thrums through her body as she stomps up the stairs and into her quarters before she frowns at the light from her bathroom.

 

Wanda walks into her bathroom and finds a bath tub full of bubbles and a tiny rubber duck with a little red hat. Her heart warms as she bounces in excitement like a toddler, much like she used to back when she was a mere child. She all but throws off her clothes and climbs into the water that is _just_ right and her hands grapple for bubbles as she uses her magic to swirl them around her head; it's the best bath she's had in ages.

 

**-x-**

 

"Mommy, how come you ate the baby?" Beckett asks.

 

Maria glances up from her file and furrows her brow, "Excuse me?"

 

"Uncle Tony says that you ate 'da baby and that's how it got in your tummy." Beckett explains as he wraps his hands around the edge of the large oak table and presses himself onto his toes. "Did you eat me too?"

 

"Beckett, no." Maria laughs as she reaches out to sweep her son onto her lap. "Mommy didn't eat the baby, the baby is just growing inside of me. Just like you did."

 

Beckett furrows his brow and blinks slowly, "Oh. That's borin'."

 

"Sorry, bud." Maria sighs before she glances up as she hears the shuffle of footsteps and she arches an eyebrow as a half-asleep Wanda fumbles into the room. "Well, nice of you to finally grace us with your presence."

 

Wanda looks at her with a sleepy expression and yawns, "Sorry."

 

"Don't apologize. It's your day off, you should enjoy it." Maria assures her as she turns herself so Beckett is safely in her lap but leaves her enough room to work. "Pietro has already left to wreck havoc on the city."

 

"You should've woke me. You should never leave my brother to his own devices." Wanda snorts as she opens the fridge and grabs the carton of orange juice. "If it is our day off, what are you doing here?"

 

"Working." Maria chuckles. "Days off are far and in between for me."

 

"That doesn't seem fair." Wanda frowns as she opens the carton and takes a swig.

 

Maria narrows her eyes at the teen, "Manners. Get a glass."

 

"Yeah, Wandy," Beckett snickers. "Get a glass."

 

Wanda blushes as bright as the glow of her powers as she looks towards a row of glass and focuses her attention before the glass is slowly surrounded by red. With a deep breath, Wanda continues to focus on the glass and it floats slowly across the room before she reaches for it. Maria gaps in shock as she looks from Wanda to where the glass lay, while Beckett simply struggles off his mother's lap with a squeal.

 

"That was _so_ cool!" Beckett exclaims as he bounces. "Do it again!"

 

"Oh...I shouldn't." Wanda whispers as she turns away from the pair to pour herself orange juice while her shoulders tense. "I-I haven't quite managed to get a handle on my powers, I don't want to hurt anyone."

 

Beckett pouts his lower lip as his shoulders sag, "Aw. No fun."

 

"Beckett Clinton Romanoff." Maria snaps and the four-year-old glances back at her with a look of innocence as he gives her a small smile. "What have I told you about that? Everyone is here to work not entertain you with their abilities."

 

"Yes ma'am." Beckett sighs.

 

"Now, I think I heard your mama telling you that you needed to clean your room," Maria begins, and Beckett bites his lower lip to smother his long whine. "So, I suggest you march up to your room and do as you were told."

 

Beckett is off with a flash of red and denim and Maria watches him go with an amused shake of her head before she turns her attention back to her tablet. She keeps her concentration on her files as she scribbles and glides through different Stark funds before she hears Wanda putting her glass in the sink. After finishing the last few scribbles, Maria lifts her head and frowns as she watches Wanda dry her hands.

 

"Wanda," Maria sighs, her tone is soft and slow as she pauses in her work. "I saw your floor the other day and I think you have more clothes on it then you do in your closet. Go clean your room, alright?"

 

"I..." Wanda trails off before she rolls her eyes. "Fine."

 

Maria shakes her head as the girl stomps off, "Jeez. Teenagers these days."

 

**-x-**

 

"I _don't_ want to talk about it!"

 

Maria never startles, but the sound of the loud voices causes her to jump as she looks up from where she is reading a book full of baby names. Her eyes are wide as Wanda storms through the tower with Steve and Bruce close at her heels, and Pietro only hangs back a few inches as he watches his sister with worry in his gaze. Maria closes the book slowly as she continues to stare at them, takes in the situation.

 

"Wanda, it wasn't your fault." Steve soothes. "You were protecting Pietro."

 

Wanda whirls to face him with anger on her face, "I _killed_ a man, Steve. He was innocent."

 

The wonder turns to concern at Wanda's words and Maria clears her throat to catch the attention of the little group, and immediately all eyes dart to hers. Pietro straightens up and subtly tries to duck behind Bruce while Steve pleads silently with Maria to step in. With a heavy breath, Maria pushes herself from the couch and looks between them before she points a finger at Wanda and points to the couch.

 

"You. Sit." Maria orders. "The rest of you, get out."

 

They scurry off without so much as a protest, but Pietro hangs back and tries to hide himself behind the corner. Maria lets him, she knows better than to separate the twins when one them is upset. Wanda crosses the room as she curls her arms around herself before she plops down on the couch with a defeated expression while Maria gracefully lowers herself beside the teen and reaches for her.

 

"No." Wanda whispers as she pulls herself away. "I don't want to hurt you."

 

Maria arches an eyebrow, "Do you think you would hurt me?"

 

"I don't know. An hour ago I didn't think I could possibly kill an innocent human being. I don't know what I'm capable of." Wanda frowns as she sinks further into the couch. "I-I don't want to hurt you."

 

"Talk to me."

 

Wanda hesitates as she pulls her sleeves of her hands and fiddles with the loose material, "There was a group surrounding Pietro and I-I managed to clear them away, but a man...he got caught in my pathway and I threw him through a wall. He was just a bystander, he was just trying to get to safety."

 

Maria falls silent as she looks at the teen and sees the emotions that play across her face; she sees the fear, the regret, the horror, and the sadness. The woman doesn't hesitate before she scoots towards the teen and curls her in her arms. All at once, the walls collapse around Wanda and she allows a sob to slip from her lips as she folds into Maria's arms. The woman whispers soft whispers to her as she allows Wanda to release her emotions.

 

She wasn't sure when this had happened, when she had decided to take Wanda under her wing. Maybe it was when the teen came in after the battle with Ultron sporting wide, fear filled eyes. Maybe it was when she timidly introduced herself to Maria and apologized for everything she had done to Natasha. Maybe it was when Maria saw her playing tag with Beckett with a carefree smile on her face. She isn't sure when, she can't really tell but she knows that she'll do anything to protect the teen and make sure she finds the happiness she deserves.

 

Maria draws away and cups Wanda's face before she wipes away stray tears, "We'll work on it, okay?"

 

"What?" Wanda sniffles.

 

"We're going to work on your control, on your powers," Maria explains and she shakes her head as Wanda opens her mouth to protest. "I've trained dozens of agents, and I know what I'm doing. Let's try something other than science, alright?"

 

"W-What if I hurt you?" Wanda demands.

 

"You won't." Maria assures her. "We'll start after you get some rest, okay?"

 

Wanda hesitates before she nods slowly, "Okay."

 

**-x-**

 

Natasha is exhausted.

 

The ache in her body thrums evenly as she walks through the tower in search of Maria; she's been away for the last four days and all she wants is a kiss from her wife and a hug from her son. As she turns the corner, a laugh sounds from the training room and she skids to a slow stop at the unfamiliar sound. With soft steps, Natasha wonders to curiously peer into the window and she freezes at the sight before her.

 

Maria throws an apple into her air and a beaming Wanda easily lifts her hands to surround it with a red glow before she tosses it against the wall and watches it explode into pieces. The teen brightens at something Maria says while her shoulders lift in a smug way before Maria tosses a block her way and watches her move it off to the side where a pile rests. The sight draws frustration from Natasha, it causes the tiredness to turn to pure anger.

 

The redhead throws the door open and steps inside, "What are you doing?"

 

Maria looks over her shoulder and grins, "Nat, look at how well she's..."

 

"You're _pregnant_ , Maria. Her powers are too unstable for you to be in the same training room with her." Natasha snaps as she glides towards her wife. "You're not even supposed to be here, you're supposed to be with Beckett."

 

"I texted you earlier and told you Steve was taking him to a baseball game." Maria frowns, the words come out slow and full of confusion before she glances at a sheepish Wanda. "Hey, why don't you go grab a drink and cool off?"

 

Wanda swallows hard and nods, "Okay."

 

The teen leaves without so much as a glance at Natasha and the redhead waits for the training room door to slam shut behind her before she turns to face her wife. The brunette isn't paying her any mind, she simply goes about cleaning up the blocks and fruits that Wanda had sent all around the room. All is silent, and Natasha can feel her anger build until it finally emerges in the form of an angered demand.

 

"Why? Why are you so _attached_ to her?" Natasha growls.

 

"Because she needs somebody, because she deserves a chance." Maria explains as she puts the fruits and blocks in a basket. "She's a kid, Natasha. She's learning. Everyone makes mistakes, you can't keep holding that against her."

 

Natasha flexes her jaw, "She worked with Ultron."

 

"So did Pietro, but you don't seem to have a problem with being close to him." Maria scoffs as she narrows her eyes. "You'll go out of your way to make him feel accepted, and to make sure he's happy."

 

"He didn't get in my head and cause me to have nightmares about my family _dying_. He didn't almost destroy the team mentally." Natasha hisses. "I thought you'd be able to see that, that you'd be able to understand it."

 

"He manipulated her, Natasha. HYDRA tricked her and Pietro. They created toys for themselves and forced them to believe they were monsters, and I'm trying to teach Wanda that she's _not_." Maria replies. "Why can't you see that?"

 

"You coddle her. You've always been Hardass Hill, but when it comes to her it's like the entire rule book goes out the window." Natasha sneers as she folds her arms over her chest. "You favor her over her brother."

 

Maria blinks and gives a sharp laugh, "And you favor her brother over her."

 

"He's less of a danger."

 

"How can you even say that?" Maria scoffs. "You can't really believe that."

 

"She doesn't have control of that part of her powers, Maria," Natasha reminds her. "I think you can understand the concern I have with her being around you and my unborn child. I'm trying to protect you."

 

Maria crosses her arms over her chest with a scoff, "And who's going to protect _her_?"

 

" _You_ are my priority." Natasha snaps. "You and our family."

 

"She doesn't have a family, Nat," Maria whispers as she shakes her head. "She has no one and if I can offer her some type of comfort, if I can take care of her, then I will. She needs someone and I can fill that role."

 

"You're going to put our unborn child at risk like that?" Natasha demands.

 

Maria pauses before she gives a sharp bark of laughter, "I'm going to pretend that you didn't just imply that I'd ever endanger one of our children, and I'm going to walk away because I don't want to fight with you anymore."

 

Maria leaves and Natasha just lets her go.

 

**-x-**

 

The tension is obvious between the couple and everyone picks up on it; Clint sides with Natasha because he's her best friend but Steve is quick to come to Maria's defense when they bring it up one day during a sparing session. After that, the line is drawn and everyone tentatively picks a side while Beckett remains in the middle completely clueless as to what exactly is going on.

 

Maria hates every second of it, she hates that Natasha can barely look at her and that her wife will go out of her way to exit any room she walks in to. She hates that the only time the redhead interacts with her is when she's holding her hair back as Maria vomits into the toilet or talks to her about Beckett's day. It's awkward. It's stressful. But they're both stubborn and everyone knows neither is going to fold.

 

The silence stretches on for another week until the women are at their usual check up and discover their baby is actually _babies_. Not one, but two. Maria throws up when she hears the two heartbeats and Natasha nearly passes out due to her shock. Two babies. They weren't ready for two babies. Three children. Maria cries and she wishes they were tears of joy, but she knows they're full of fear.

 

The drive home is silent and Natasha doesn't reach for Maria's hand why she cruises along the roads, they simply both stare out the windshield. All they can hear is the doctor's excited and soft congratulations and the sound of two heartbeats. It plays over and over in their heads until they pull up to the tower; Natasha is the first out of the car and she doesn't hesitate to loop around and help Maria out.

 

"Nat..."

 

Natasha releases her as soon as they step into the elevator, "Rogers and I leave for a mission in an hour."

 

"Okay." Maria whispers.

 

Maria goes about her day with ease and they tell the Avengers about the twins and the excitement spreads easily. Wanda looks at Maria with so much happiness in her eyes that Maria can't help but smile as the teen eagerly babbles on about what having a twin is like. Maria tucks away those excited facts and focuses on her son as she prepares him lunch and settles to do their chores.

 

"I'm sorry."

 

Maria pauses as she glances up from the clothes she and Beckett are folding, "What?"

 

"I'm sorry. For everything. I love you, Maria." Natasha whispers as she sinks against the doorway of their bedroom while her gaze lowers to the ground. "I've been stupid, I should've just talked to you. And after today..."

 

"Are you okay?" Maria asks. "With the babies?"

 

"I'm thrilled. I was a little more than shocked when the doctor told us, but I'm happy. I'm very happy." Natasha assures her as she licks her lips. "I didn't want to leave for this mission without telling you that."

 

Maria stands with a little struggle and pulls Beckett into her arms before she closes the distance between them and squishes their son between them as she presses her lips to her wife's. Natasha sighs happily against Maria's mouth as she tilts her head to deepen the kiss while she presses her fingertips against Maria's jaw. After a moment, a small hand pushes Natasha's chin away and she jerks back to see Beckett's frown.

 

"Ew." Beckett huffs.

 

Maria rolls her eyes and sets him down, "Go finish folding your boxers."

 

"Are we okay?" Natasha asks.

 

"We're okay." Maria nods and Natasha sinks in relief before she arches her head to press another soft kiss to her wife's lips. "We need to talk when you get back from this mission, alright? We need to discuss Wanda."

 

Natasha tenses before she swallows, "Okay. Fine."

 

"I love you, Nat." Maria breathes out as she curls the redhead into her arms.

 

"I love you, too."

 

**-x-**

 

"How did you even manage this?"

 

Natasha winces as Maria cleans the cut on her back, "I didn't see him."

 

"Isn't Rogers supposed to take care of you, have your back? I think I might need to have a little chat with him." Maria hums as she drops the alcohol pad in the trash. "It's not too deep, you don't need stitches."

 

"Good." Natasha nods. "How were the last few days? Everything good with the twins?"

 

"Um..."

 

Natasha tenses as she looks over her shoulder with a wince, "What happened?"

 

"It's nothing too be concerned about. I just...needed to go to take a small trip to the hospital." Maria replies as she reaches for the gauze and tenses as Natasha turns to face her with wide eyes. "Don't look at me like that, we're all fine."

 

"What _happened_?" Natasha repeats.

 

"I was having pain. A lot of it." Maria admits with a sigh as she forces Natasha's body the other way before she tapes the gauze down. "I ended up collapsing while I was training with Pietro and Wanda. They took care of me."

 

"Why didn't anyone call me?" Natasha demands. "Why didn't _you_ call me?"

 

"You were on a mission, Nat," Maria scoffs. "It was Braxton Hicks, and Wanda took care of me. She basically refused to leave my side, she was almost as attached to me as Beckett was. She even insisted on sleeping on the floor until you got back."

 

Natasha falls silent as she furrows her brow, "Really?"

 

"Yeah. That's just how she is. When you're gone, she looks out for Beck and I." Maria whispers as she shakes her head. "She is always so concerned about everyone's safety, everyone but her own. She's a sweet kid."

 

"She scares me." Natasha admits.

 

"I know." Maria sighs before she moves to stand before her wife. "I know she does, Nat. I will never justify what she did to you or try to defend it, but she deserves a second chance. That's all she wants, a chance to prove herself."

 

"Her powers are something that...they're impressive." Natasha scoffs as she reaches out to pull Maria forward. "But she's also a flight risk and that is alarming. I don't want anyone getting hurt, especially you or Beckett."

 

Maria frowns, "She would..."

 

"I know she wouldn't. I-I am slowly starting to see that." Natasha assures her. "I've been watching her, ever since our argument. She looks up to you, Maria. She _idolizes_ you. She would do anything to protect you."

 

"I've been trying to tell you this." Maria teases with a roll of her eyes.

 

"Yes, yes," Natasha huffs as she draws Maria closer until she can press their lips together. "I know it took me a long time, but I get it. I get why you're so sure about her. I just need you to understand that it's going to take me a little bit of time."

 

"I do understand, Nat." Maria whispers as she pulls away from full lips in order to rest her forehead against the woman's. "I won't push you to feel anything you don't want to. Like you said, you need time."

 

Natasha falls silent and Maria simply rubs their noses together as she sees the way the wheels slowly turn in green orbs. She wonders what her wife is thinking about, but she knows better than to ask. Natasha is usually an open book, but there are times when Maria has to struggle to get through each page. There are times when the woman just needs a second to get her thoughts together; Maria knows this is one of those times.

 

"Scarlet."

 

Maria jumps as she pulls away from Natasha, "What?"

 

"If we have a girl," Natasha begins as she reaches down to press a hand to her wife's stomach before she smiles softly. "I want to name her Scarlet. After Wanda. You allowed me to give Beckett a strong middle name, I want our daughter to have one too."

 

"Really?" Maria whispers.

 

"Really." Natasha nods.

 

Maria cups her wife's face and presses their lips together, "You're amazing."

 

**-x-**

 

"You don't have to do this, you know?"

 

Maria glances up from her tablet with a frown, "Excuse me?"

 

"This press conference. This...stupidity. You don't have to answer anyone." Pepper frowns as she leans against the wall beside Maria. "I know that Ross feels this is the right move, but you're _pregnant_. You don't need to be worrying about this."

 

"I don't really have a choice in this matter, Pepper." Maria reminds her with a roll of her eyes as she turns her attention back to her tablet. "I'm just addressing my marriage to Natasha and answering a few questions about it."

 

"And Natasha is okay with it?" Pepper asks. "Especially with the chatter of HYDRA knowing about this?"

 

"Of course she isn't, but this was an order from someone higher than I can say no to." Maria shrugs. "I have a few notes to discuss and I'll answer a handful of questions and then we can all go on our merry way."

 

Pepper shakes her head in amazement, "You are something else."

 

Maria rolls her eyes at the woman's words and focuses her attentions on the notes that are typed out on her tablet. Now well into her seventh month, Maria has found herself at the center of the world's attention as her marriage to the Black Widow has become the hot topic on everybody's lips. Thaddeus Ross had thrown a fit the second he had found out about the marriage and had demanded that Maria addressed it.

 

Natasha fought it for a while, she managed to keep Maria from having to answer to anyone for a month before her hand was finally forced. And now, Maria leans against the wall right beside the door she is due to step out of any moment. With a sigh, she runs a hand over her stomach and thinks of the pair that rest in her stomach; her son and daughter. Just the simple touch causes her heart to slow as she releases a soft breath.

 

"Hey."

 

Maria glances up and smiles softly at her wife, "Hi."

 

"Everything is pretty much ready. The twins insisted on keeping an eye on the crowd, they don't want to take any chances." Natasha whispers as she moves to rest her hand over Maria's. "I'm so sorry, Maria."

 

"For?"

 

"For all of this. I know this is exactly what we wanted to avoid, all this press and bullshit. You were never to be put in the spotlight like this." Natasha mutters. "But now you and Beckett are and I can't do anything to stop it."

 

"It's okay. Everything is being handled accordingly." Maria assures her. "We'll have this press conference and address what needs to be and then we'll all go on with our life. We don't have time for any of this, we have two kids on the way."

 

Natasha shakes her head, "It amazes me how fast you can become Hardass Hill."

 

"Hardass Hill gets stuff done." Maria shrugs.

 

"Maria, they're ready for you." Pepper sighs as she approaches the pair.

 

"Okay. I'll be on the south side, I'll have eyes on you the entire time." Natasha murmurs as she glances from Maria's stomach to her blue orbs. "If you feel like you're in danger then just give me the signal."

 

"Nat, I'll be fine." Maria scoffs.

 

"Better safe than sorry, my darling. You should know this by now." Natasha replies with a smirk of amusement before she presses a quick kiss to pink painted lips. "Get this over with so we can go home."

 

Natasha slips away after one last gentle touch to her swollen abdomen before Maria smooths a hand over her sides and turns to step through the doors. All at once, the fire of cameras start up and she blinks slightly at the sight she had almost forgotten. She can feel Pepper at her elbow and the woman guides her towards the podium, and she can't help but flash the blonde a thankful smile as she helps her onto the small step.

 

Her gaze sweeps over the crowd and she sees Tony off to the side with Steve and Sam, all three stand with their arms folded over their chest and frowns. Clint is by Natasha, not that Maria expects him to be anywhere else, and she can see Bruce not too far back. It takes her a moment before she can make out Pietro as he blurs through the crowd, rushes through the throngs while Wanda simply paces around with a scowl on her face.

 

She can hear the questions that are shouted at her by eager reporters and Maria allows her to slip away, allows her to fall in that familiar commander position. She reads her speech without a hint of emotion in her tone, addresses her marriage and the family she has built and shuts down the attempts for anyone to bring up anything that has to do with Natasha's past in the Red Room.

 

"Commander, Commander!"

 

Maria sucks in a breath and nods towards the man, "Yes?"

 

"Your marriage with the Black Widow," He begins as he blinks in awe at her while he holds a tape recorder towards her in order to capture her response. "Why was it hidden for so long? Are you ashamed of her past?"

 

"Of course not. Agent Romanoff's past is..."

 

Her words are cut off by a loud, wet boom. All she can hear is a ringing in her ears as she watches people scatter as glass and concrete rain down and Maria finds herself flying back. Her immediate thought is her children, and her arms circle her stomach as she rolls away from the destruction. Everything seems too loud as she feels her eyes flutter shut. Around her, the world turns and she tries to keep herself awake as her hearing suddenly returns.

 

It's utter chaos once the dust settles.

 

Clint is already firing arrows and Pietro tosses Steve his shield in time to protect him from a line of bullets while Bruce is backing away from the crowd with a desperate expression. Maria coughs from her place beside the destroyed podium and her hand goes to her stomach as she struggles to sit up. Her hand fumbles for her gun, and she barely manages to pull it free and release the safety as two agents appear before her.

 

Natasha fights a few feet away with wide eyes, without her usual concentration, all she can do is stare at the place that her wife once stood. She searches for Maria as she ducks underneath a fist and swings herself behind the man before she snaps his neck and lets him drop at her feet. Her gaze stays focused on where Maria was, she waits patiently for an appearance from her wife but it doesn't come.

 

And then the anger takes over.

 

She buries bullets into chests and doesn't bother to step away from sprays of blood, and her hands snap one too many necks as she makes her way forward. As she finishes off another man, she makes out the sight of Maria and her breath comes out with a sigh of ease. She rushes forward, she hurries to protect the woman, but a foot catches her in the stomach and she finds herself tumbling backward.

 

Wanda catches sight of the action and furrows her brow before she looks to where Natasha was heading and straightens. She feels the anger curl through her as she sees a hoard of agents closing in on Maria. With ease, Wanda ducks underneath a swinging arm and flicks her hand, the simple action sends the agent flying and leaves her enough room to rush towards Maria. She presses herself in front of the woman and lifts her hand in order to form a protective barrier before she begins to tick off each agent.

 

"We need to get you to safety!" Wanda yells over the screams and shots.

 

"No. I'm not leaving you here." Maria replies as she turns to where the red barrier breaks and takes out the kneecaps of a few different men. "If I'm going, you're coming with me. On the count of three, switch spots."

 

"Maria..."

 

"On the count of three." Maria repeats as she turns her head to lock her gaze with Wanda's and she sees the fear in the orbs that glow a dark red. "Just remember what we've practiced. You can do this."

 

Wanda takes those words and tucks them away as Maria begins to count down and suddenly she shifts the shield and focuses on the HYDRA agents that pour from every space around them. She doesn't know why they're here or what they're doing, but Wanda can only guess that this is their way of letting the Avengers know that they're still around and they have no intention of being stopped.

 

In her silent musing, Wanda gasps as she feels a bullet skim her arm and she falls backward and clutches at the burning skin. She hears the shots of Maria's gun and then a click, Wanda looks up in time to see the brief flash of fear that flashes over the brunette's expression. The woman doesn't hesitate to dive towards Wanda in an effort to protect her while she turns her back to the man who raises his gun at her.

 

The reality hits her as she blinks in horror; she has one choice to make. Wanda finds herself falling into Maria's head as she sees the flash of memories; she sees her meeting Natasha, she sees their first date, she sees their kiss in the rain, she sees their fights, their proposal, the day Beckett was born. She sees their kisses, their love, and everything they have together. And then she sees Maria's mental image of what would happen if she doesn't survive this random attack.

 

And just like that, the anger seeps deep into her veins. Wanda's hand shakes as raises it towards the man who is joined by a line of agents and she feels the hard throb against her time as the mist races through her body. She feels the red flames lick at her nerves and she grits her teeth as she tries to bite back the sting of pain in her her, she simply tries to lock down her emotions.

 

And then she bursts, literally and figuratively.

 

The powers lick through her and she feels the magic curl around her. She releases a sob of anger and screams; the men fly back and Wanda watches as they drop, lifeless. She feels no remorse as she calms the way her heart races against her chest. She swallows hard as she looks to Maria who glances from the crumpled men to Wanda, and the teen tries to smile as she sees the pride in Maria's gaze.

 

"Maria!"

 

Natasha is at their side and she reaches for her wife, Wanda blinks in surprise as the cool mask that usually graces Natasha's face slowly slip away to reveal the fear and worry. The redhead is gentle as she helps Maria stands before she glances to Wanda and offers her hand, and the teen sees the apologies and the thank you's in green orbs. She accepts the limb and winces as she's pulled to her feet.

 

"Are you okay?" Natasha asks in soft voice.

 

"I'm fine." Wanda nods. "Just a flesh wound. Check on Maria."

 

Natasha nods and turns to look her wife over and her gaze flutters freely over the woman's form as she takes in a small cut on her cheek and hairline, "Are you okay? Are you hurt? Do I need to get a medic?"

 

Maria looks up with wide eyes, "My water just broke."

 

Once again, all hell breaks loose.

 

**-x-**

 

Blaze Stephan Romanoff is born first.

 

His cries are so loud that Natasha almost has to cover her ears, but her hands remain wrapped around Maria's as she pushes. She stares at the doctor as he whisks her sobbing baby boy away, with his perfect little wisp of dark hair and she wonders if Blaze is going to end up with the same piercing blue eyes his brother has; she certainty hopes so, she hopes all her kids look just like their mother.

 

It takes exactly six minutes and twenty seconds before Maria gives a cry of pain and another breathless sob fills the air. Natasha tries to hide her tears, just like she did the day Beckett was born, but she can feel the slight sting of a tear as it travels down her cheek. Maria gives a laugh of disbelief as she glances up at Natasha with wide, exhausted eyes and Natasha flashes a smile as she leans down to rest her lips against Maria's forehead.

 

Scarlet Natalia Romanoff screams right alongside her brother; Natasha swears it's the most beautiful sound she's ever heard.

 

After a while, the Avengers trickle into the hospital room and Natasha snorts in amusement at the way they hang back and look around as if searching for something to do. Beckett hesitates as he pinches his lips into a line and clings to Steve's jeans as he peeks up at the man who watches the couple with a half-smile. After a moment, the little boy looks to his mothers as his new siblings and copies the expression.

 

Finally, Steve gently scoops Beckett up and the four-year-old sucks in a breath of worry the man carefully sets him on the end of the hospital bed. The child is silent as he looks nervously back at his little family before he finally crawls up the bed. Maria is silent as she watches her son and sees the way his eyes brighten in surprise when small hands appear from the twine of blue blankets.

 

"Meet your little brother and sister, Beck," Maria whispers and she smiles lovingly at the way the child's jaw drops before he bounces his gaze between the two infants. "They're a little early, but Blaze Stephan and Scarlet Natalia are finally here."

 

"Stephan?" Steve repeats with misty eyes.

 

Maria nods as she looks to the man, "It was Natasha's idea."

 

"Thank you." Steve murmurs with a voice thick with emotion.

 

Wanda ducks her head and rubs at her arm, "And Scarlet?"

 

"Also Natasha's idea." Maria chuckles.

 

"I think that after what you did at the press conference warrants some praise." Natasha smirks as she winks at the teen. "So, I figured what better way to do that then naming our child after you."

 

"Thank you." Wanda whispers with a firm nod.

 

"They're very tiny." Beckett breathes out with awe in his tone, his blue eyes pull themselves from the infants as he looks to Natasha with a frown. "Mama, can I touch the babies or is it gonna hurt 'em?"

 

"It won't hurt, buddy. You just have to be gentle." Natasha replies as she watches Beckett's tiny hand reach out to brush his fingers through the soft tufts of hair that rests on the top of Blaze's head.

 

The touch captures Blaze's attention and his eyes slowly pull themselves open to reveal that stunning blue. The four-year-old puffs his chest out as he feels a wave of protectiveness wash over him. He looks between his new baby brother and sister and makes a silent promise to always take care of them, to make sure they're safe; with a smile, he reaches out to brush a hand over Scarlet's arm before he looks to his mothers.

 

"They have pretty eyes, just like mommy and me." Beckett chirps as he glances up at Natasha who gives him a warm smile. "Mommy, do you feel better now that the babies are out of your tummy?"

 

"I do." Maria laughs. "Does anyone want to hold one of the babies?"

 

Murmurs of dismissal come as they all slowly back away until Wanda and Steve are left in front; the two trade looks before they step forward. Steve is careful as he juggles Blaze in his arms and looks at Natasha with wide eyes before the redhead simply perks an eyebrow and gives a nod. Wanda takes Scarlet from Maria and looks down at her with wonder on her face, her lips twist into a smile as the baby blinks up at her.

 

"You did good, Hill." Steve says as he looks down at the baby in his embrace.

 

Wanda snorts, "They have created pure perfection."

 

Maria gives a smile as Natasha moves to press herself on the edge of her wife's mattress before she leans down to press her lips to Maria's forehead. They both look around the room and see their little family, the reluctant family they created all on their own. Maria sighs as she watches Beckett bounce in an excitement to see the babies again and she can't help but realize how lucky she is.

 

Once upon a time she wanted to destroy the Avengers, and now she can't live without them.

 

Funny how life works out sometimes.


	7. If I Lose You, I Lose Me

**Prompt given to me by[AllyC13](http://archiveofourown.org/users/AllyC13/pseuds/AllyC13): Maria gets shot on a mission, Natasha doesn't take it too well.**

 

"Tasha..."

 

"Don't."

 

"Tasha, Bruce stopped the bleeding on the way here." Clint sighs as he moves to where his partner sits with her elbows on her knees and her head in her hands. "She'll come out of this surgery just fine and..."

 

"I killed sixteen people today." Natasha cuts in, the lump in her throat grows as she licks her lips and stares at the white tiles of the hospital hallway. " _Sixteen_ people, Clint. I killed them because I thought I lost her."

 

Clint nods as he sits beside her, "It's okay."

 

"It's not okay." Natasha scoffs as she lifts her head and turns to glare at him. "None of that was okay, Clint. I lost control because I thought someone had killed my wife, I lost it because I allowed myself to have a weakness."

 

"Everyone has a weakness, Nat." Clint scoffs.

 

"Not me." Natasha whispers. "I was never supposed to."

 

_"Steve, watch your six." Sam orders as he swoops over Natasha's head._

 

_The Avengers spread throughout the HYDRA base and Natasha watches with a close eye as her wife slips by her with a determined expression. The redhead wants to follow her, wants to keep her close, but she glances towards Clint and reluctantly follows behind the man. The fight begins before anyone can take in their surroundings and before she knows it, bullets and arrows and beams are flying while agents drop left and right._

 

_"So much for a peaceful retrieval." Steve grunts as he swings his shield at a man._

 

_"Oh please, Spangles," Tony scoffs as he fires at a group that quickly leap out of the way. "Like that'd ever happen. Don't you know by now that there's no such thing as peaceful when it comes to these guys?"_

 

_"They make it so easy though!" Pietro exclaims as he darts by and knocks the guns out of men who look at their hands in awe before he swings back around to fire quick punches. "Really? You didn't see that coming?"_

 

_"So, dinner tonight?" Natasha questions as she presses her back to the wall and slides another clip into the gun chamber. "I was thinking we could try out something new. I'm thinking Thai, we haven't had that in a while."_

 

_"Oh, that sounds good." Sam hums._

 

_"I wasn't talking about you, Wilson," Natasha replies with a roll of her eyes. "I was talking to my wife."_

 

_Maria laughs in amusement, "I don't think we can tonight. Blaze's fever only broke this morning and I think Scarlet is coming down with the bug he had. I just want to get them and bring them home."_

 

_"See, this is why Pepper and I don't have kids." Tony sighs. "Too much of a buzzkill."_

 

_"Whatever." Maria snorts. "You'll have one, just wait."_

 

_"Romanoff, Barton, you have about a dozen coming your way." Steve calls as he bounces his shield off the wall and catches it with practiced ease. "One of them is Hank Mikhailov, he's the leader. We need him for integration."_

 

_"I'll head that way, I'm only a corridor away." Maria offers._

 

_Natasha shakes her head and furrows her brow, "No. Stay where you are. Clint and I've got it."_

 

_"Too late, babe. Halfway there." Maria sings._

 

_"You are impossible, Hill. Remind me why I married you again?" Natasha demands as she fires a quick shot before she presses herself against the wall. "Actually, don't answer that. I'm almost afraid of your answer."_

 

_"Shit."_

 

_"What?" Natasha frowns as she hears Maria's harsh tone._

 

_"Seems like Mikhailov is..."_

 

_Then they hear it. The loud pings of gunshots followed by a gasp and thud. The Avengers pause, and Steve takes a punch while Wanda finds herself thrown back. All at once, everyone is calling for Maria as they jump back to reality. Natasha feels the gun in her hand loosen as she sinks back against the wall while Clint slinks back to cover her before he reaches behind himself to grab an arrow and fire it at a man._

 

_"Maria." Natasha snaps as she presses a finger to the gadget in her ear. "Maria!"_

 

_"Hill is down!" Steve exclaims. "I repeat, Hill is down!"_

 

_Natasha feels her world stop turning._

 

"What did I do, Clint?" Natasha whispers as she looks down at her hands that are covered with dried blood. "I-I worked so hard to become something, something that I wasn't meant to be. I just thought about the kids and..."

 

Clint reaches out to cover one of her shaking hands, "Breathe, Nat."

 

"I can't." Natasha admits as she shakes her head. "I _can't_ breathe, Clint. I can't do this without her. What am I going to tell the kids? H-How am I going to do this if she doesn't make it? She is my sanity, Clint. She's...she's everything."

 

"I know, Tasha." Clint sighs as he squeezes her hand. "That's why nobody blames you."

 

Natasha flashes him a look and he flinches at the emotionless orbs, "I don't regret it, Clint. That's the bad part, I don't regret it."

 

Her hands shake as she pulls them away from Clint's grasp before she leans back against the uncomfortable chair of the little hospital waiting room. She glances down at her hands and frowns at the thought of the lives that are spread across them, the lives she stole. She doesn't regret what she did because all she could think about in that moment was that somebody had taken her children's mother, had taken her wife. Natasha clenches her jaw and curls her hands into fists as if to hold onto that thought; she did it for Maria.

 

_"Rogers," Natasha growls. "What's her status?"_

 

_"I-I can't tell..."_

 

_"Steve!" Natasha snaps. "Tell me."_

 

_"Nat, I-I don't think she's breathing..."_

 

_Clint looks back at her with wide eyes, "Tasha, don't."_

 

_But she doesn't hear his pleads. All she can hear is Steve's words that repeat over and over in her head, all she can think of her sons and daughter. And then she hears the heavy footfalls and she glances up with eyes that hold no emotion. She tucks away the sadness and the horror and focuses on her anger. The wedding band on the chain around her neck burns against her chest as she whips around and aims._

 

_The world seems to be moving in slow motion as she walks down the halls and fires bullet after bullet, watches them drop before she steps over their bodies. By the time her gun is empty, her anger has manifested into something more sinister and Steve watches in horror as she makes her way through a group; she crushes throats with a well placed punch and she twists necks until a satisfying pop sounds in the air._

 

_"Nat..." Steve whispers._

 

_Natasha looks at him with empty eyes, "Where is he?"_

 

_"You don't want to do this." Steve frowns as he quickly moves to stand in front of the woman, his gaze darts to look at the bodies she leaves behind before he catches her broken orbs. "Natasha, go get Maria. Focus on..."_

 

_"Get out of my way, Rogers." Natasha orders in a deathly calm whisper._

 

_The command causes a chill to run down the soldier's spine as he stares at her and sees something that he never has: he sees the Black Widow. From the way the blood covers her hands to her posture, all she is looking for is another mark on her ledger. Steve swallows as he finds himself taking a step back and that's the only que she needs before she shoulders past him in search of her mark._

 

The tick of the clock bounces through her head as she continues to stare down at her hands. Her face is dry. She doesn't know why, but she can't cry. It's like her emotions have been locked in a box, it's like she's back in the Red Room. The thought sends a rush of pain through her as her breath catches, but she simply steadies herself as Bruce moves to lower himself in the chair beside her and gives her a sideways glance.

 

"I didn't stop to check." Natasha rasps.

 

Bruce furrows his brow as he ducks his head slightly, "Huh?"

 

"I-I didn't even stop to check on her, I left you to do it." Natasha murmurs. "I was so sure she was already gone, I was sure I lost her so I didn't stop. I didn't stop for a second. I didn't hesitate. Why didn't I just _check_?"

 

"I wouldn't have." Bruce admits and Natasha is quick to look at him with wide eyes. "I wouldn't be able to. M-My anger just...it's always there. If I had someone like Maria, if I had a love that the two of you do, I wouldn't check."

 

"I feel..."

 

"Like you let the monster consume you." Bruce cuts in, and Natasha refuses to look at him as she gives a swift nod. "It has. And it'll feel that way for a while. You and me, we have beasts in us that we can't contain. We have to have our centers."

 

Natasha furrows her brow, "Are you saying Maria is my center?"

 

"She's your world, Natasha." Bruce reminds her. "Of course she is."

 

"What about you?" Natasha demands as she looks at him with eyes that hold no give away, that shows him nothing more than the emotions she lacks. "How do you do it? What calms your beast?"

 

Bruce shrugs and gives a bittersweet smile, "I don't have a center. Not yet. I understand that right now you feel like you're no better than you were all those years ago, but it'll pass. She'll be okay, and it'll pass."

 

Natasha licks her lips and gives a humorless laugh, "I don't know if it'll ever okay again."

 

_They try to stop her._

 

_Clint grapples for and pleads, but she simply shoves him away. Pietro rushes to toss things in her path, but she kicks them and eventually catches him by his collar and tosses him aside. Thor only gets so far before she tosses a Widow's Bite at him. Tony raises his hand to her and the beam lights up, but the second he meets her gaze he simply folds his fingers into a fist. Wanda is no where to be seen, that doesn't surprise her._

 

_She finds him in a shattered lab, the door gives way easily under her foot as she pushes it open and stares at him. His smugness causes the final drop of humanity to leave her, it strips away any mercy she has for him. She hears Steve ordering her to stop, telling her to keep him alive and to think of Maria but she simply pulls her ear piece free. She doesn't need to hear him, and he doesn't need to hear what she's about to do._

 

_Hank smirks as he crosses his arms over his chest, "Lose something?"_

 

_Natasha swallows hard as she crosses the room and wipes the smile from the man's face, her fist meets his jaw and she feels a roll of satisfaction as he teeters back. The man presses a hand to his mouth and draws it away to stare at the red that taints his fingertips before he glances at Natasha with a smirk. He can see the storm that brews deep within green eyes and it causes the amusement to swell._

 

_"Oh, the look on her face when I put that bullet through her." Hank sighs._

 

_Every rational thought leaves Natasha at his laughter and she feels something deep in her gut snap as she steps towards the man and sends a foot into his stomach, watches as he flies back to crash into the wall. She paints the lab walls with his blood and overturns equipment as she tosses him around like a rag doll. He tries to fight back, but she drives a broken piece of beaker through his hand and all he can do is fall apart in pain._

 

_Natasha barely blinks as she snaps his neck and watches the life drain from his eyes._

 

"You should call the kids."

 

"I can't."

 

"Nat, they'll want to hear from you." Clint assures her as he offers her a bottle of apple juice that she stares at before she finally reaches for it. "And I promise you that you'll feel so much better once you hear their voices."

 

"They'll hear it, Clint," Natasha murmurs as she fiddles with the label on the juice while her eyes jump to watch as Bruce stands to give them privacy. "Beckett will hear it in my voice and I can't do that to him."

 

"No, he'll hear his mom's voice and he'll be relieved. Believe me, Cooper and Lila used to be over the moon when I called." Clint reminds her before he extends his phone. "Go call your kids, Tasha. They need to hear from you just as much as you need to hear them."

 

"Okay." Natasha whispers as she hesitantly reaches for the phone. "I'll be back."

 

As she stands from the chair, her legs fill with the feeling of pins and needles before she winces and steps away to call her kids. She leans against the wall as the phone rings and she closes her eyes when Beckett's voice finally pours through the speaker. For a moment, it returns. Her humanity, she supposes. For a moment, she feels like herself again. Her hand tightens around the phone as she gives a hard swallow.

 

"Hey, bud." Natasha whispers.

 

"Hi, Mama. Where are you?"

 

Natasha clenches her jaw as she forces the happiness into her voice, "We're still busy."

 

"Oh. I miss you and mommy."

 

"We miss you too, Beck. We'll be home as soon as we can, okay?" Natasha assures him and he simply answers with his familiar yip of agreement. "So, what are you doing? Are the twins there so I can say hi?"

 

"Uh huh, we're coloring. Auntie Laura is making us dinner. We're gonna have pasta and salad, and Auntie Laura says that we can have ice cream if we're good. Scarlet is coloring a picture of a bunny, Mama."

 

"She is?" Natasha chuckles as she ducks her head and listens as her son continues to sputter out his day before he finally calls for his brother and sister to greet their mother. "I think I hear my two favorite twins."

 

"Mama!"

 

The sound of the tiny voice causes her chest to lock, "Hey, kiddo."

 

"You come home, Mama?"

 

"N-No, Blaze. Not yet. Um, it's going to be just a few more sleeps before I get home." Natasha replies and she cringes as he huffs at her words. "But that means you get to play with Nate for a few more days."

 

"M'kay. Scar says hi!"

 

"Hi, baby girl. Are you being good for your aunt?" Natasha asks.

 

"Stuper good, Mama."

 

"That's my girl." Natasha whispers. "Okay, I-I gotta go. I love you guys."

 

The different variations of 'I love you' is returned from her two two-year-olds and her six-year-old and it makes breathing seem a little easier. She ends the call and presses the phone to her chest for a moment, as if the call will somehow restart the heart she swears has stopped. She swears it hasn't beat the same since the beginning of the mission, not since she had felt her world slip through her fingers.

 

_Natasha isn't sure how long she stands there, but the next thing she knows she feels a hand on her shoulder and she spins to grapple for their neck. Wanda manages to deflect the movement with a move Natasha taught her, and the redhead stares at her and takes in her tear filled eyes and worried expression. The woman steps back, waits for the inevitable news about her wife while Hank rots behind her._

 

_"She's alive."_

 

_Natasha's head snaps up, "What?"_

 

_"She's alive." Wanda repeats in a soft voice as she looks away from the body on the floor. "Bruce says she has lost a lot of blood, they are loading her on the quinjet now. You should go, be with her. She needs you."_

 

_"She's alive?" Natasha demands._

 

_"Yes. Bruce says..."_

 

_Natasha doesn't let her finish, she brushes her past her and takes off._

 

"Natasha?"

 

Natasha spins around at the name and she brushes past Thor who springs eagerly from his chair. The woman hurries to stand in front of Helen who reaches up to slowly remove her blue scrub cap and Natasha scans her face over in search of her next words. Helen looks grim, and her stomach bottoms out as she once again tightens her grasp on the phone until her knuckles are bone white and her teeth ache from the way she flexes her jaw.

 

"She made it through the surgery." Helen assures her as she locks eyes with Natasha. "I can't say that she's out of the woods yet, but I'm hopeful. The first bullet caused her left lung to collapse, and the second bullet was a few inches away from her heart."

 

"Can I see her?" Natasha asks in a soft voice.

 

Helen nods, "She's being moved to recovery, I'll take you to her."

 

The team sags in relief at the news and Natasha swallows hard as she offers Clint his phone back before she goes to follow behind Helen. Time seems to catch up with her as she takes her first step towards the woman who holds her entire heart in her hand. It dawns on her how much she needs Maria, not that she's ever doubted it before. She trails behind Helen and takes a moment to look around at her teammates.

 

As Natasha walks by, she sees it. The disgust. Tony looks at her as if he's just realizing what kind of monster she truly is. Steve steps back with a look of disappointment. Pietro curls an arm around Wanda's shoulders as he draws her back. Sam simply looks away. Bruce stares after her with a soft gaze, with understanding. It makes her sick to her stomach, but all she can think about is Maria. She did it for Maria.

 

And the worst part is, she'd do it all over again if she had to.


	8. Smile Even Though You're Sad

**My prompt: Life is a funny thing.**

 

The child has her eyes.

 

They're the most beautiful shade of green that Bruce Banner has ever seen, and he can't help but arch his eyebrows in surprise when he's forced to watch them swirl with anger; the green darkening as pupils swell with growing emotion. Her attitude is cutting, but once you've worn her wall she has a side so soft that you can't help but melt. She giggles and immediately captures anyone in the palm of her hand.

 

The little girl is just like her mother, one look at the four-year-old and you'd know from the first glance that she is Natasha Romanoff's daughter. She is the child of the Black Widow. She is everything that is good in Natasha's world. It brings a flutter to his heart sometimes when he looks at her and sees what goodness looks like, what innocence looks like.

 

Brooklyn Lauren Romanoff.

 

Perfection. It's the only word he can use to describe her, she's such a bright light in the world that Bruce swears is filled with so much darkness. She's a bright spot in the the world of the Avengers. He can't count how many times he's felt the anger sweep through him, felt the Big Guy tickle at the back of his throat, only for tiny arms to curl around his neck and hold him down to his wonderful reality.

 

A soft giggle cuts through his thoughts and his eyes peel open before he turns to watch as curls bounce as little legs rush his way. His arms reach for her, reach to catch her tiny form as he swings her in the air with a playful growl. Brooklyn settles in his lap and he sighs lightly as he holds her and allows her to take the comfort she needs; for a moment, it's just Bruce and Brooklyn, the world outside has vanished.

 

Green eyes lift to stare into brown and a lopsided grin slides across Bruce's face as he comes to the same conclusion he had four years ago; Natasha Romanoff, without a doubt, has the world's most perfect child. He still remembers the day in the hospital when he held Brooklyn for the first time, his arms were shaky and his nerves were blaring at him but Natasha's smile made everything seem okay.

 

He spends his evening reluctantly running around the house and pushing back furniture so they can have enough space for the lab set he and Tony designed for Brooklyn. Puffs of color fill the air and smears of black decorate the child's face by the time day turns to night and Bruce chuckles as he carries her away to the bath and watches the water darken with the the evens of their evening.

 

By the time her bath is done, Brooklyn can barely keep her eyes open and he's quick to get her dressed in her favorite pajamas and he can't help but shakes his head as he remembers buying them in the boy's section a month ago; Captain America's face decorates the pants. Soon, Brooklyn is asleep in his lap and he takes a moment to look around the living room that he had hurried to put back together before bath time.

 

The soft click of the clock winds down the minutes of the day as brown eyes dart to watch the way wax melts down a burning candle, hardening as it hits the end of its journey. The sound of the door opening causes Bruce to glance up before pink cheeks and a scowl appear in the doorway, Natasha stands a few feet away and breaths heavily into her hands as she drops them and flashes him a pout.

 

"It's fucking freezing out there. I can't feel my hands." Natasha grumbles as she moves towards Bruce, her hands rub together as she drops her gaze to the bundle in the man's lap. "I see you two had a busy day."

 

Bruce nods, "We did some experiments."

 

"You did? Well, I'm going to go ahead and take a lucky guess that they went well since Brooke is one piece." Natasha hums as she reaches down to brush a gentle hand over his cheek. "Please tell me she's not going to wake up the size of a pea tomorrow..."

 

"I make no promises." Bruce shrugs.

 

"No more science in this house then." Natasha shrugs as she leans down to scoop Brooklyn into her arms and the four-year-old groans as she easily turns into her mother's neck. "I'll be right back, I'm gonna go lay her down."

 

Bruce can't help but miss the warmth Brooklyn had offered, but it seems to return as Natasha brushes back into the room and offers him a hand. The man groans as he hauls himself from the chair and ducks his head to brush a kiss over her forehead. Bruce can't help but sigh as he watches Natasha hesitate for only a moment before she begins to fuss throughout the living room, picking up toys and a t-shirt.

 

This is such a beautiful life.

 

The happiness that fills Bruce's heart hardens like the wax on the mantle as the front door opens and a form gracefully spills into the foyer. All at once, Natasha tenses and she doesn't even take the time to pause before she drops a toy and hurries to fuss over the intruder. Her hands are gentle, they skirt over a frown before her eyebrow arches as she scans the person over with an expression of concern.

 

"My hands are frozen."

 

"You okay?" Natasha asks as she lifts hands to her lips and dances kisses over knuckles.

 

"I'm fine. I just need to thaw out. It's horrible out there." Maria Hill-Romanoff mumbles as she ducks her head to press her cold lips to Natasha's before she pulls away. "Thanks for watching Brooke."

 

Bruce waves away her thanks before his feet carry him to where his jacket waits and he rushes to pull it on as he pockets his phone and calls a goodbye to the happy couple. He hears them say something, possibly another goodbye or thank you, but most if it is cut off as he closes the front door behind him. The winter air surrounds him as he walks to his car, Bruce's head turns to stare at the house that he has come to love so much.

 

That little girl, the one he loves so much, isn't anything other than his goddaughter. The beautiful home cut with the perfect garden and filled with so much happiness and warmth wasn't bought by Bruce. And the woman inside with eyes that haunt his dreams, a woman that offered him this happiness, isn't anything other than something he threw away out of fear.

 

The beautiful life Bruce wants so badly isn't his.

 

It's Maria's.


End file.
